ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two drones were intercepted in Duhok province’s Akre district early Sunday, a local official said, while a Kurdish Iranian opposition party said its base was struck in Erbil province.
"Those two drones were engaged and shot down in the air by aircraft” over Akre’s Bjil subdistrict at around 5 a.m., subdistrict administrator Bashar Mohammed told Rudaw, adding that “there were no casualties."
Footage submitted to Rudaw, purportedly showing the aftermath of the incident, showed smoke rising from the area, drone debris scattered on the ground, and residents inspecting the site.
Residents said they heard aircraft flying overhead around the time the drones were reportedly brought down.
The Iranian Kurdish opposition group Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) also said that one of its bases in Erbil province was targeted in a drone strike at around 8 a.m. on Sunday.
The Kurdistan Region has faced a sustained wave of aerial attacks in recent months following the US-Iran war, with Iran-aligned factions in Iraq and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups repeatedly targeting positions across the Region. Hundreds of drones and missiles have struck the Kurdistan Region, with dozens of incidents reported even after a ceasefire was declared on April 8.
On Tuesday, two Iranian missiles struck the headquarters of the Komala Toilers of Kurdistan, northeast of Erbil, the Kurdish dissident group said in a statement.
Kurdish authorities have repeatedly condemned the ongoing strikes, stressing that the Kurdistan Region is not a party to the conflict. Iranian officials, however, continue to argue that Iranian Kurdish opposition groups pose a threat to national security, a claim that has fueled continued cross-border attacks despite the fragile truce.
Updated at 10:57 am.
