"A retreat was already planned" before Wednesday's attack, which caused no injuries, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Italian news programme TG1.

He stressed it was "only a temporary retreat".

The withdrawal was confirmed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in parliament, after he earlier expressed on X the "strongest condemnation of the drone attack on the Italian base in Erbil".

Italy has soldiers in Erbil training Kurdistan security forces as part of an international force.

Crosetto said 102 personnel had recently returned to Italy from the base, while 141 were present on the base at the time of the drone attack.

Tajani said he had spoken to Kurdistan's regional president Nechirvan Barzani and stressed it was "essential to exercise prudence and restraint to avoid further escalation".

Stefano Pizzotti, commander at Camp Singara, said the attack happened just after midnight local time -- late evening in Rome.

He denied earlier reports that it had been a missile strike.

All personnel were already in bunkers following the activation of an air threat alarm, he said in a video statement released by the defence ministry.

Tajani told the Realpolitik television programme late Wednesday that the Italian base was "within a compound which includes other bases from other countries, above all Americans".

"We don't know if (the attack) was aimed at the Italians or at the compound in general," he added.

Drones were shot down on Wednesday over Erbil by the US-led international forces, which are based at Erbil airport, a Kurdish security source said.

AFP journalists reported hearing loud bangs near Erbil airport from air defences engaging drones.

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