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4 drones shot down near U.S. consulate in Iraq's Erbil

22 July 2026 03:37 (UTC +04:00)

Air defense systems at the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, shot down four drones targeting the facility Tuesday evening, according to a local security source.

The Kurdish security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the air defenses intercepted four drones before they could reach their target, adding that initial reports indicated no casualties.

Earlier in the day, Ahmed Hoshyar, director of Erbil International Airport, announced a temporary suspension of flights due to a wave of drone attacks targeting the city. Operations resumed shortly afterward.

The U.S. Consulate in Erbil has witnessed frequent drone attacks in recent days. The U.S. Central Command confirmed Sunday that a U.S. service member was killed and another wounded in action in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone on Saturday.

The incident came amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, as the United States and Iran exchanged strikes in recent days. The United States carried out attacks on Iranian targets, while Iran responded by targeting U.S. bases and facilities across the region.