Explosive drone shot down at Iraqi Kurdistan airbase
by AFP Staff Writers
Arbil, Iraq (AFP) Jan 2, 2024

An explosive drone targeting the US-led anti-jihadist coalition in Iraq was shot down at Arbil airport on Tuesday, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-linked armed groups that oppose US support for Israel in the Gaza war.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, there has been a surge in attacks on US forces and their allies in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Counter-terrorism authorities in the autonomous region of northern Iraq said the drone was launched by an "outlawed group" and was shot down.

Washington has counted 115 attacks launched against US targets in Syria and Iraq since mid-October, according to a military official speaking on condition of anonymity.

The US military has responded by launching air strikes targeting sites used by Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq and Syria.

The United States has around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of a multinational coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

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