ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two bomb-laden drones heading toward the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil province were shot down by warplanes late Monday, a local security source told Rudaw.
“The drones were heading toward Erbil and were successfully intercepted and destroyed over Soran district [northeast of Erbil], without causing any casualties or damage,” the source said.
He added that fighter jets had been flying at low altitudes before and after the detection and destruction of the drones.
Footage obtained by Rudaw shows one of the drones catching fire after being intercepted.
The US and Israel launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran in late February, striking thousands of targets across the country during six weeks of hostilities.
In response, Tehran carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - while also launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
The Iranian response also involved factions aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ including armed groups in Iraq that claimed numerous attacks on alleged US targets in Iraq and Kurdistan.
The warring sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8, halting hostilities to create space for diplomatic negotiations. While the first round of talks concluded without a final agreement on April 11, a second round has yet to take place.
Despite the truce, Tehran and its allied factions have continued their attacks on Kurdish dissident groups in the Kurdistan Region.
Based on Rudaw’s tracking, the Kurdistan Region has been hit with nearly 880 projectiles from Iran and its affiliated armed groups since the outbreak of the war in late February, resulting in at least 20 deaths and 135 injuries, including civilians.
Kurdish officials have repeatedly condemned the attacks, stressing that the Region is not a party to the conflict.
