At least two suicide drones have attacked a base of an Iranian Kurdish opposition organization in Erbil province, northern Iraq. The strike on the civilian camp of the Organization for the Struggle for Iranian Kurdistan, known as “Habat“, caused a large fire.
The attack took place at around 10:19 p.m. in the village of Topzawa, in the Habat district, west of the city of Erbil. Civil defense and security forces were sent to the scene and extinguished the fire. According to the Counter-Terrorism Department of the Kurdish Region, there were no deaths or injuries. “Fortunately, there were no casualties”, the ministry said in a statement.
There were no members of “Habat“ at the base during the attack. Only a few security personnel were on site guarding the facility.
The strike comes amid ongoing attacks on the Kurdish region. Since the start of the military escalation between the US and Iran in late February, the region has been subjected to more than 1,000 drone and missile attacks by Iran and armed groups it supports. Among the targets hit were diplomatic sites, bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations and important energy infrastructure.
Calls for air defense
On September 30, the US-led coalition completed its withdrawal from Iraq and the Kurdish region. In addition to operations against the “Islamic State“, coalition forces have also played a role in intercepting drones and missiles launched by Iran and its allies.
After the withdrawal, the Prime Minister of the Kurdish region, Masrour Barzani, said that acquiring modern air defense equipment is a matter of survival for the autonomy. According to him, the Kurdish region needs help from international partners and the federal government of Iraq.
Sources: pravda.com.ua, thenewregion.com