A plume of smoke rising near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Three drones targeted the cities of Sulaimaniyah and Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq early on Sunday before they were shot down without causing any casualties.
According to reports, two drones entered the skies over Sulaimaniyah. One of the two drones resulted in a fire that was eventually extinguished.
In Erbil, the C-RAM air defense system destroyed a drone early this morning without causing any damage.
These strikes follow the unexpected 72-hour pullout of US, British, French, and German forces from Erbil International Airport, which included hundreds of troops and heavy air defense equipment.
US forces have begun a phased withdrawal from Iraqi Kurdistan as part of a plan to redeploy and end their military presence in the country.
Reports indicate that US military convoys have departed from Erbil in the past few days, heading toward neighboring countries.
The US Department of War has not yet issued an official statement regarding the details of these recent movements.
The international coalition’s air defense systems in Erbil intercepted several earlier drones targeting the US consulate and its associated logistics base.
The recent escalation in Iraqi Kurdistan, which largely included drone assaults over Erbil, comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, the most serious since a cease-fire deal was reached in mid-June.