SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Drone shot down near Iraqi airport hosting US troops: security forces
Arbil, Iraq, July 3 (AFP) Jul 03, 2025
A drone was intercepted late on Thursday near Arbil airport, which houses US-led anti-jihadist 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.

Arbil airport, which includes a military base of the international anti-jihadist coalition, was a frequent target in previous years for rocket and drone attacks.

Dana Tofeek, the airport's interim director, told AFP that the airport is "safe", adding that "only one flight was slightly delayed due to security measures".

There has been no claim of responsibility for the drone.

In less than two weeks, 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.

Kirkuk airport hosts Iraqi army units, federal police and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of former pro-Iranian paramilitary forces now integrated into the regular armed forces.

Early on Tuesday, Iraq's anti-aircraft defence engaged at least one drone near the key refinery of Baiji in Salaheddin province.

Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

Iraq has long been a battleground of drone and rocket assaults and proved fertile ground for proxy wars.

It only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Maven stays silent after routine pass behind Mars
ICE-CSIC leads a pioneering study on the feasibility of asteroid mining
NASA JPL Unveils Rover Operations Center for Moon, Mars Missions

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Thorium plated steel points to smaller nuclear clocks
Solar ghost particles seen flipping carbon atoms in underground detector
Overview Energy debuts airborne power beaming milestone for space based solar power

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Autonomous DARPA project to expand satellite surveillance network by BAE Systems
IAEA calls for repair work on Chernobyl sarcophagus
Momentus joins US Space Force SHIELD contract vehicle

24/7 News Coverage
UAlbany Atmospheric Scientist Proposes Innovative Method to Reduce Aviation's Climate Impact
Digital twin successfully launched and deployed into space
Robots that spare warehouse workers the heavy lifting



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.