Drone crashes on plain in Duhok’s Bamerne

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A drone crashed in Bamerne in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province early Thursday, causing a fire on a dry plain, a local party official told Kurdistan 24. 

Bamerne residents went to the plain to put out the fire. It’s presently unclear where the drone originated from or to whom it belongs. 

It crashed around 11:30 am local time near a residential area that includes an office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Aged Koramarke, the head of the office, told Kurdistan 24. 

Aside from igniting the small fire, the crash did not cause any casualties or damage. 

The impact site is only a kilometer (0.62 miles) away from a Turkish base in the area. 

Security forces collected and are examining the remains of the drone to determine its source, the official added. 

This is the second such incident in the area over the past week. 

Last Friday, Turkish forces in Bamerne shot down two drones flying over the airfield. 

The area has witnessed several skirmishes between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), sometimes resulting in collateral damage. 

Last week, an artillery attack killed nine tourists at a resort in Duhok’s Zakho. Iraq blamed Turkey for the attack. Turkey claims the PKK is the culprit. 

Additional reporting by Kurdistan 24 correspondent Alan Hisen