Four Drones Shot Down Over Kurdistan Region Overnight

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - International Coalition air defense systems intercepted and destroyed four drones over the Kurdistan Region shortly after midnight on Tuesday, successfully neutralizing one unmanned aircraft above Erbil and three more over the Soran Independent Administration in the latest attempted aerial attack targeting the Region.

According to Kurdistan24 reporters in Erbil and Soran, Coalition defensive systems were activated during the early hours of Tuesday, after multiple hostile aerial objects were detected entering the Region's airspace. 

All four drones were intercepted before they could reach their intended course.

No casualties or material damage were immediately reported following the operation, and Coalition air defenses remained active as security forces continued monitoring the situation.

The latest interceptions come only days after Coalition forces thwarted several similar drone attacks over Erbil, underscoring the persistence of aerial threats despite repeated defensive successes.

While authorities have not released operational details about Tuesday's incident, the latest attack reflects an ongoing pattern of attempted incursions into the Kurdistan Region's airspace.

Earlier this month, Coalition forces intercepted five explosive-laden drones over Erbil during a coordinated operation that prevented the drones from reaching the regional capital. 

According to the Kurdistan Region Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), those interceptions took place within minutes of one another and concluded without injuries or property damage.

A day later, Coalition air defenses shot down another explosive-laden drone over Erbil, again preventing casualties and disruption to daily life in the city.

Commercial operations at Erbil International Airport continued normally during those incidents, highlighting the effectiveness of the Region's layered defensive measures.

Intelligence obtained by Kurdistan24 following the earlier attacks indicated that the five drones intercepted over Erbil on Friday had been launched from the outskirts of Mosul by outlawed armed groups.

The reported launch location related specifically to that earlier incident and provided new insight into the origin of the attempted strike, while reinforcing concerns over the ability of armed factions operating outside the Kurdistan Region to mount long-range drone attacks.

Read More: Intelligence Points to Mosul Outskirts as Launch Site for Drones Targeting Erbil

Kurdish officials have repeatedly urged Iraq's federal authorities to prevent such attacks by dismantling the infrastructure used by outlawed armed groups operating beyond the Kurdistan Region's borders. Regional leaders have argued that protecting the Region's airspace is inseparable from safeguarding Iraq's broader sovereignty and security.

Tuesday's interceptions also come against the backdrop of a much wider security challenge documented by the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Authorities have not announced the origin of Tuesday's four drones or identified those responsible for the attempted attack.