ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least four drones targeted Erbil International Airport in the late hours of Friday, the second attack in the city in one day, according to Rudaw sources on the ground.
“Four drones crashed near the Sebiran area in Erbil and the coalition shot down a fifth drone,” Rudaw’s Mustafa Goran reported from the vicinity of the airport.
Residents of Erbil city reported hearing a loud bang after a drone exploded, causing panic across residential areas of the city close to the airport. Sebiran residents told Rudaw their house windows shattered as a result of the explosion.
It is the second drone attack on Erbil in several hours, after a suicide drone on Friday evening targeted a residential building in the city, causing no casualties.
“We hold the Iraqi federal government responsible to prevent these attacks by outlaw groups,” the Kurdistan Region Security Council said about the Friday attack.
Earlier on Friday, the United States embassy and the headquarters of the Iraqi National Security Service were targeted with rockets in Baghdad. Neither incident caused any casualties.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller “strongly” condemned the attacks targeting the US embassy in Baghdad as well as facilities hosting American personnel on Friday, calling on Iraq to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“The many Iran-aligned militias that operate freely in Iraq threaten the security and stability of Iraq, our personnel, and our partners in the region,” he said.
Miller said that the Iraqi government has said it is committed to protecting diplomatic missions in the country.
US troops in Iraq and Syria have come under target of a series of rocket and drone attacks by pro-Iran militias since mid-October, in response to Washington’s support for Israel in its war against Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
On Thursday, the US Department of Defense said there have been at least 78 attacks on its forces in Iraq and Syria since mid-October, leaving 66 American personnel injured.
