US has been 'successful' in defeating drone attacks on Erbil: spokesperson

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US-led coalition has been “successful” in defeating drone attacks on Erbil International Airport, its spokesperson told Rudaw on Sunday, saying these attacks “undermine the authority” of the Iraqi government.

“The coalition has been successful in defeating these drone attacks and coalition air defense systems, along with our radar, are good at seeing larger objects. The smaller drones are a problem,” Colonel Wayne Marotto told Rudaw’s Shaho Amin.

“We’re gonna keep on defeating these UAS attacks and defending the ISF and the Peshmerga and the coalition forces, because again, when these outlaw militia groups, or if it’s Daesh, they attack the coalition they’re attacking the ISF because the coalition and the US we don’t have any US bases in Iraq, they’re all Iraqi security forces bases where the US and the coalition has co-located with our Iraqi partners,” added Marotto.

Erbil airport was attacked with two explosive-laden drones late Saturday night. One of the drones detonated inside the airport perimeter and another outside the perimeter, Marotto said, adding that there were “no injuries and no property damage.”

No group immediately claimed responsibility for this attack.

“I don’t believe, at this time, that anyone or any group has taken responsibility for these attacks but it's obvious that hostile outlawed militia groups continue to attack US and coalition forces. And the coalition is not fighting anyone but Daesh and we don’t seek conflict with any other group,” said the spokesperson.

However, the groups that launch these attacks “want to undermine the authority of the government of Iraq.”

Erbil has been targeted in several rocket and drone attacks this year. Previous attacks were blamed on Iranian-backed Iraqi militias who have demanded United States forces withdraw from Iraq. US forces are stationed at the airport.

Drones hit the airport in July but no casualties were reported. Four explosive-laden drones hit locations northeast of Erbil in June, causing material damage to citizens’ houses.

The airport was also hit by an explosives-laden drone in mid April, two months after multiple rockets hit the city in which two people died and 13 others were injured.

The United States consulate in Erbil said they "strongly condemn" the attack and remain committed in its support for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government. The UK consulate also condemned the attack, saying the "threats to the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq] must end."

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