Coalition confirms drone attack on base in Erbil province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A military base hosting coalition troops in Erbil province was attacked with a drone in the early hours of Friday morning, the coalition spokesperson told Rudaw on Saturday. 

“On July 23, 2021 at 1:23am an Unmanned Aerial System impacted a Coalition base in Kurdistan. There were no casualties and no damage as a result of the attack. The United States and Coalition Forces will stay vigilant and maintain the inherent right to self-defense,” said Colonel Wayne Marotto.

The attack targeted Bashur base near the town of Harir, around 70km northeast of Erbil city. 

A militia group called the Thaereen Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday evening, which it said was carried out with "booby-trapped drones," according to a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran-backed militias. 

There have been at least 25 reported rocket and drone attacks on bases and facilities housing American forces and personnel in Iraq this year, according to data compiled by Rudaw English. The most recent attack was two weeks ago when three rockets were fired into Baghdad’s Green Zone.

There was another attack on the base on May 10, according to a letter from US President Joe Biden to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The attack comes amid the fourth round of strategic dialogue between Iraqi and US officials in Washington DC. 

The talks in Washington are expected to detail a formal end to the US combat mission in Iraq and see it shift to an advisory and training role, which is already the focus of the 2,500 American troops now in the country. 

Last year, Iraq’s parliament passed a non-binding resolution requiring foreign forces to withdraw from the country after the US assassinated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al Shaabi) deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iranian-backed militias within the PMF are suspected of being behind frequent rocket and drone attacks on US interests in Iraq. 

Updated 10:42am