Iraqi Kurdistan Reports Downing of Armed Drone Near U.S. Base

The Counter-Terrorism Organization of Iraqi Kurdistan announced that defense systems in the Kurdistan region shot down an armed drone over Erbil Airport in northern Iraq on Sunday, where U.S. and other international forces are stationed. According to Reuters, security sources stated that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure following the attack, and a group known as 'Islamic Resistance in Iraq' claimed responsibility for the drone attack. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government, the attack on Sunday occurred less than 24 hours after two drones were downed on Saturday evening near a military base in northern Iraq used by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Harir Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces. An Iraqi Army spokesperson also stated that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered a coordinated investigation with the security forces of the Kurdistan region and committed to pursuing those responsible for the Saturday attack. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in mid-October, Iran-backed militia groups in the region, referred to as resistance forces, have increased their attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests in various parts of the Middle East. These attacks have generally resulted in few casualties or minor damage, but U.S. and Israeli retaliatory strikes against these Iran-backed groups have often been heavy. Six proxy fighters of the Islamic Republic were killed in airstrikes at the Syria-Iraq border. Saudi media reported that 11 commanders and members of the IRGC were killed in an Israeli attack in Syria. Joe Biden stated that the recent U.S. attacks in Iraq aimed at 'deterring' the Islamic Republic. A drone attack by an Iraqi militia group targeted the Golan Heights; Israel reported no casualties. CENTCOM reported the U.S. military's attack on the positions of the Kata'ib Hezbollah militants in Iraq.