Drone attack injures three in Erbil: counter terrorism

Karwan Faidhi Dri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An explosive-laden drone hit a road in northeast Erbil city late Wednesday, slightly injuring three people, Kurdistan Region’s counter terrorism directorate said.  

The Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said in a statement that “an explosive-laden drone hit Erbil-Pirmam road at 9:35pm, slightly injuring three people. It also damaged a restaurant and a number of vehicles.” 

The incident area is about five kilometers away from the new compound of the US consulate which is under construction.

It was initially reported that a rocket had landed in the area. 

Lawk Ghafuri, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said in a tweet that “investigations are ongoing by the security forces.” 

Ahmed Hoshyar, CEO of Erbil International Airport, told Rudaw that the airport and flights have not been affected by the incident. 

Saman Barzanji, KRG health minister, told Rudaw that a large number of ambulances and medical teams have been dispatched to the incident area.
 
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
 
Reber Ahmed, KRG interior minister, told reporters at a hospital that the injured were civilians, adding that one of the injured is in a critical condition due to the shock of the explosion.
 
He also said that they are in contact with Baghdad to find the perpetrators, adding that the KRG PM Masrour Barzani has spoken on the phone with his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa al-Kadhimi about the incident.
 
Iran attacked Erbil with twelve ballistic missiles in the early hours of March 13, with at least four missiles landing on the residence of a Kurdish businessman. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting "the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracy and evil by point-to-point missile." Kurdish authorities vehemently rejected this accusation.  


The Iraqi parliament’s fact-finding committee visited the incident area but did not find any evidence that would indicate spying activities. 

 
 

Updated at 11:50 pm