Four drones crashed on Wednesday morning in areas of Soran, Xelîfan, and Herîr in Hewlêr (Erbil) province in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). One of the drones struck a residential building, but according to initial reports, no one was injured.
Loud explosions were heard after the drones crashed. A fire subsequently broke out in at least one of the crash sites. No information on further property damage has been reported so far.
It remains unclear who the drones belonged to or what their intended targets were. Iran or Iraqi militias allied with Tehran are considered possible perpetrators, although this has not yet been confirmed.
Repeated attacks on Southern Kurdistan
The incident comes amid ongoing drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Since the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran began in late February, targets in Southern Kurdistan have repeatedly been attacked by Iran and Iran-aligned militias in Iraq. In addition to military facilities and energy infrastructure, positions and facilities belonging to Kurdish parties from Eastern Kurdistan have also been targeted. It remains unclear whether the drones that crashed in Hewlêr province on Wednesday were part of this wave of attacks.