BAGHDAD, Apr 15 (NNN-NINA) – A booby-trapped drone, yesterday, struck a U.S.-led coalition base in Erbil airport, the capital of semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, in northern Iraq, a Kurdish statement said.
“Kurdish authorities investigated an explosion that occurred at the Erbil International Airport, last night, discovered it was caused by a drone carrying explosives,” a statement by the regional Ministry of Interior said.
“Fortunately, the explosion did not cause any casualties except damages to a building,” the statement said, adding that, investigations are underway.
Hoshyar Zebari, a prominent Kurdish official and former Iraqi foreign minister, said in a tweet that, “tonight there was yet another terrorist drone attack on Erbil airport. This is a clear and dangerous escalation.”
He said, “It seems the same militia who targeted the airport two months ago was involved in the attack.”
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on the relatively peaceful Kurdistan region.
On Feb 15, several rockets landed in and near Erbil airport and the coalition base, killing a foreign civilian contractor with the international coalition forces, wounding nine others, including an American soldier.
An unknown armed faction calling itself the Awliya al-Dam Brigades, or Guardians of blood, claimed responsibility for the Feb attack.
Such attacks have frequently targeted Iraqi airports and military bases housing U.S. troops, as well as, the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone with mortar and rocket attacks.– NNN-NINA
