Key points
- We are aware of an explosion from a UAV: US officials
- Says “incident is under investigation”
- Only one flight was slightly delayed due to security measures: Official
ARBIL, Iraq: A drone was intercepted late on Thursday near Arbil airport, which houses US-led coalition troops in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, Kurdish security forces said.
“At 21:58 (1858 GMT) an explosive-packed drone was downed near Arbil International Airport, without causing casualties or damage,” said the counterterrorism services of the Kurdistan region.
A US defence official told AFP “we are aware of an explosion from a UAV that occurred outside of the airbase in Arbil”, adding that the “incident is under investigation”.
“No injuries or damage”
“All US personnel are accounted for and there were no injuries or damage to the base or US assets in the area,” he said.
Dana Tofeek, the airport’s interim director, told AFP that the facility is “safe”, adding that “only one flight was slightly delayed due to security measures”.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the drone attack.
In the past days, drone and rocket attacks have been reported in different parts of Iraq, including drones that landed in open spaces.
Earlier on Thursday, an explosive-packed drone fell near Kirkuk airport, which was struck on Monday by two rockets, a senior security official told AFP.
