Popular Mobilisation Forces attack Iraq's Erbil airport with drone attacks
Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan has been the target of further attacks by explosive-laden drones. The offensive has caused a large fire in the vicinity of the airport, but it is not known at this stage whether the attack has left any fatalities or injuries.
Iraqi sources claim that the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militias, some of which are allegedly part of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary coalition made up of a Shiite majority, whose aim is to fight Daesh. Similarly, this brigade, considered a terrorist group by the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, includes Sunni, Christian and Yazidi groups in its ranks.
Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan has been the target of further attacks by explosive-laden drones. The offensive has caused a large fire in the vicinity of the airport, but it is not known at this stage whether the attack has left any fatalities or injuries.
Iraqi sources claim that the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militias, some of which are allegedly part of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary coalition made up of a Shiite majority, whose aim is to fight Daesh. Similarly, this brigade, considered a terrorist group by the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, includes Sunni, Christian and Yazidi groups in its ranks.
According to the spokesman for the international coalition against Daesh, Wayne Marotto, "at approximately 23:15 (local time), drones hit the vicinity of the Erbil area base". Alongside this, an Iraqi security source claimed that "sirens sounded at the US Consulate in Erbil after the airport was targeted by a missile attack". This attack reportedly took place at the airport closest to a US military base, coinciding with the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The region's governor, Omed Khoshnaw, has described the offensive as a "terrorist attack" and confirmed that the population is "completely under control", according to Iraqi news portal Basnews. Alongside this, the attack came a day after the US embassy in Iraq confirmed that its defence systems had shot down "an aerial threat" against a building, as well as another rocket attack on the Ain al-Asad military base, an air base in the Amber Governorate that operates in conjunction with the Iraqi armed forces and the US armed forces.
Since the beginning of the year, the United States has been the target of 45 attacks, including attacks on the US Embassy, airports and the so-called "Green Zone". This term, coined by military jargon, refers to the most secure area of Baghdad after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In this regard, the US has responded on several occasions by bombing PMF positions. The most recent was at the end of June on the Syrian-Iraqi border, leaving several dead. Following this attack, the PMF vowed to respond against US targets.
In this vein, the Iraqi authorities have tried to dissuade the perpetrators of the attacks by pointing out that some factions loyal to Iran are reportedly affiliated with the Iraqi Forces or have contacts and relations with them. In connection with these offensives, the United States has repeatedly expressed concern about combating Da'esh. The US-led coalition has a deployment of 2,500 troops in Iraq out of a total of 3,500. These strikes have killed two foreign contractors, nine Iraqis and eight civilians.
