Drone Attacks Target Peshmerga Bases in Erbil, Sulaimani, Injuring Three

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs announced on Wednesday that two of its military bases in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces were targeted in separate drone attacks, leaving three Peshmerga fighters wounded.

According to an official statement issued by the ministry, the attacks struck positions affiliated with Peshmerga units earlier in the day. The ministry described the wounded personnel as “heroic Peshmerga fighters” injured as a result of the strikes.

The ministry noted that the attacks come amid a pattern of repeated assaults on Peshmerga positions in recent periods, adding that both the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Joint Operations Command had previously been informed of such violations.

Strongly condemning the incidents, the Ministry of Peshmerga labeled the strikes as “irresponsible terrorist acts” and called on the Iraqi federal government to fulfill its legal responsibilities by taking decisive measures to prevent further attacks.

The statement urged Baghdad to act swiftly to deter outlawed groups responsible for such operations, warning that continued assaults pose a serious threat to regional stability and security.

The Ministry reaffirmed the need for immediate and firm action to prevent a recurrence of such attacks, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding security forces operating within the region.

Since the outbreak of the U.S.–Israel campaign against Iran on February 28, several Iran-backed Iraqi armed militia groups operating under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have publicly and formally claimed responsibility for rocket and drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region.

These attacks have targeted civilian residential neighborhoods, Erbil International Airport, Peshmerga forces' bases, energy and other public sector institutions, as well as U.S. and other foreign missions and bases in the Kurdistan Region.

Despite repeated calls by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials for the federal authorities in Baghdad to curb the activities of these outlawed militias, no concrete measures have been taken to halt their attacks on the Kurdistan Region. Baghdad has not issued a single condemnation of these assaults.

This comes in contrast to statements made the same day by Sabah al-Nu’man, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who condemned U.S.-Israeli strikes on PMF factions following their attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and other foreign sites.

The disparity underscores what critics describe as a dual approach by Baghdad—remaining silent on militia aggression against the Kurdistan Region while openly denouncing strikes against those same groups.