Erbil International Airport targeted in drone attack

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A drone loaded with explosives struck near Erbil International Airport in the capital of the Kurdistan Region in an apparent attack on Wednesday evening, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism force said.

The force did not provide further details but Erbil’s governor confirmed to Kurdistan 24 that a fire broke out inside the airport compound, part of which houses troops from the US-led coalition.

The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that an explosion was heard from the airport’s surroundings, adding that an investigation was underway.

The Ministry later sai their initial investigation indicated the attack was carried out with a drone rigged with explosives, targeting the coalition base at Erbil airport. There was only material damage and no casualties, the ministry said.

Coalition spokesperson, Col. Wayne Marotto told Kurdistan 24 that “This evening, an unmanned aerial surveillance system landed on a storage hangar at Erbil Air Base. There were no injuries reported. A fire has been extinguished and damages are still being assessed.”

A senior security source in Nineveh province said that a camp in which the Turkish army was present was also struck with rockets, resulting in the injury of one person.

The source said two rockets targeted Zelikan camp in Bashiqa district, north of Nineveh, with one rocket falling inside the camp. The second landed in the village of Zelikan, wounding a young woman, the source said.

Additional reporting by Wladimir van Wilgenburg. Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly.