Coalition forces successfully intercepted and destroyed five explosive-laden drones over Erbil airspace on Friday morning, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate (CTD) announced. 

According to the CTD, the incident occurred between 9:32 AM and 9:45 AM local time.

Channel8 reported earlier that air defense systems intercepted multiple drones mid-air over the city, with some exploding and others crashing to the ground. Smoke was also observed rising near the airport vicinity.

Rising Regional Tensions and Ongoing Attacks

The attack comes amid a significant escalation in regional hostilities following the collapse of a fragile U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding earlier this month. 

Erbil and surrounding areas have faced continuous aerial assaults, alongside multiple strikes targeting Slemani over the past weeks.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has strongly condemned the ongoing operations as a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty. 

Following a major surge in swarm drone activity over the last week, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad placed American citizens on high alert due to the persistent threat environment.