{"id":57514,"date":"2021-09-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lebanonnewsgazette.com\/?guid=53e37c957544d72c60c03300bc989727"},"modified":"2021-09-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-12T00:00:00","slug":"iraqs-erbil-airport-targeted-in-drone-attack-kurdish-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lebanonnewsgazette.com\/iraqs-erbil-airport-targeted-in-drone-attack-kurdish-officials\/","title":{"rendered":"IRAQ’S ERBIL AIRPORT TARGETED IN DRONE ATTACK: KURDISH OFFICIALS"},"content":{"rendered":"
Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq has been targeted in a drone attack, Kurdish security officials said, the latest in a series of similar incidents over the past year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The internal security service for Iraq\u2019s autonomous Kurdish region, of which Erbil is the capital, initially said three rockets had hit near the airport.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A second statement by the Kurdish counterterrorism force said the attack had been carried out by explosive-laden drones.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no victims in the attack carried out by two armed drones,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
There were no immediate reports of casualties. Witnesses said they heard at least six explosions in the area.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government, said on Twitter that Kurdish security forces were investigating the incident.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drone was carrying explosive devices, and exploded away from Erbil International Airport\u2019s terminals and territories. No casualties are reported,\u201d Ghafuri said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The airport, which also serves as the base for United States-led coalition forces, suffered no damage, according to its director Ahmed Hochiar.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The US forces are leading an international military coalition whose mandate is to help Iraqi forces fight remnants of ISIL (ISIS).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The coalition did not immediately comment on Saturday\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The airport in Erbil has come under attack several times in the past year, including by drones carrying explosives.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Booby-trapped drones were launched against the airport in July but they did not cause casualties or material damage that time. A few weeks earlier, three drones targeted the airport in Baghdad, where US troops are also deployed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: National News Agency<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq has been targeted in a drone attack, Kurdish security officials said, the latest in a series of similar incidents over the past year.The internal security service for Iraq\u2019s autonomous Kurdish region, of whi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n