Air Defenses Intercept Four Drones Over Erbil Amid Wave of Nighttime Attacks
Governor says 17 bomb-laden drones targeted the province overnight but were destroyed before reaching their targets
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Air defense systems intercepted and shot down four drones over Erbil on Thursday, preventing them from reaching their targets in the Kurdistan Region’s capital, officials said.
The attempted strike occurred in the afternoon when two unmanned aerial vehicles targeted the city but were neutralized by coalition air defense systems before causing severe damage.
The latest incident was part of a broader wave of aerial attacks carried out overnight. According to Omid Khoshnaw, governor of Erbil Governorate, a total of 17 attacks targeted the province during the night, all carried out using bomb-laden drones.
He said air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed all of the drones in the sky before they could reach their intended targets.
The governor expressed relief that the attacks caused no casualties and that residents remained safe. However, he noted that falling drone debris and explosions caused limited material damage in several locations.
The latest security incident comes as the Kurdistan Region — particularly Erbil — has faced repeated aerial attacks in recent weeks. Such strikes are often attributed to Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq operating outside the law.
However, the successful interception of a large number of drones in a single night, according to observers, highlights what officials say is the growing capability of air defense systems in the Kurdistan Region, protecting the lives and properties of the civilian residents.