Bomb-Laden Drone Crashes Near Erbil's District of Makhmour

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A bomb-laden drone crashed near a village in the Makhmour district of Erbil province on Wednesday morning but failed to detonate, marking the latest incident in a series of drone attacks that have placed the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi federal government, and international partners on high alert.

The Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Directorate (CTD) confirmed the incident occurred at 9:30 AM near the village of Dugirdkan. The directorate stated that the unmanned aerial vehicle was carrying explosives.

The failed attack is not an isolated event but the most recent in a sustained wave of aggression that has seen over 20 separate drone and missile attacks launched against the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of July.

These strikes have systematically targeted critical energy infrastructure, drawing sharp warnings from the international community.

A Pattern of Aggression and Unheeded Warnings

The ongoing attacks have created a volatile security and political environment. While no group has officially claimed responsibility, the assaults are widely attributed to Iran-backed militia groups operating in Iraq. This has fueled deep frustration between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government in Baghdad, which the KRG accuses of failing to stop the threats.

Top Iraqi and Kurdish security officials, led by Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, met in Erbil this week, vowing to conduct a "final" investigation. However, KRG Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed expressed skepticism, noting that previous joint committees had reached definitive conclusions but that "no necessary measures have been taken." He warned that if the threats persist, the Kurdistan Region "will take all necessary measures to defend itself."

For his part, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has described the drone strikes as a "terrorist act" but has also argued that the presence of the U.S.-led international coalition has provided a "justification" for armed groups to operate outside state control.

Escalating International Pressure

The federal government’s perceived inaction has triggered increasingly forceful reactions from the United States. In a recent call with Prime Minister al-Sudani, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded that Baghdad hold perpetrators accountable, ensure consistent salary payments to the Kurdistan Region, and resume oil exports.

The pressure has intensified in the U.S. Congress, with Representative Joe Wilson vowing to introduce legislation to prohibit American funding to Iraq, accusing Baghdad of financing the "terrorist militias" that attack the Kurdistan Region.

This sentiment is echoed by former top American officials. Joe R. Reeder, a former U.S. Under Secretary of the Army, recently called the attacks a "lethal, fatal mistake" and forecasted "very, very severe" consequences, including both military strikes and sanctions. Security experts have also warned that continued failure by Baghdad to rein in these groups makes a foreign military strike "highly likely."

Washington has also voiced "serious concerns" about a bill pending in the Iraqi parliament that would further institutionalize the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC), warning it would entrench "Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty." Former Iraqi Ambassador to the UN, Feisal al-Istrabadi, cautioned that such a move, combined with the attacks, is testing American patience and could lead to U.S. sanctions.

The United Kingdom has also condemned the strikes, with its embassy in Baghdad urging the Iraqi government to “prevent further attacks and hold those responsible to account.”