Drone Attack Targets Iranian Opposition Group in Erbil

Late Thursday night, a facility belonging to the Kurdish Iranian organization "Paka" in Erbil province was targeted by an attack involving two booby-trapped drones.

This is the first reported attack of its kind against Iranian opposition sites in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since the end of the international coalition mission and the withdrawal of its forces from the country last September 30.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Counter-Terrorism Service announced in a statement reviewed by Al-Ain News that a refugee camp for Kurds from Iranian Kurdistan, located in the Korkosk sub-district of Khabat district in Erbil province, was attacked by two drones at 10:19 PM on Thursday, confirming no human casualties were recorded.

For his part, Shorsh Haji, the head of relations for the "Paka" organization, said in a press statement that two drones targeted one of the organization's headquarters in the Rezgari sub-district of Khabat district, causing material damage to the site and its surroundings without any injuries.

Haji clarified that the headquarters had been evacuated beforehand, which prevented any victims, while the entity responsible for carrying out the attack and the nature of the objectives it sought to achieve remain unclear.

In a related context, Iraqi security sources told Al-Ain News that "headquarters of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Erbil province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq were subjected to an attack carried out by the Iranian armed forces."

First Attack After Withdrawal
The attack gains special significance due to its timing, coming eight days after the announced date for ending the international coalition mission in Iraq on September 30, accompanied by security arrangements to reorganize military responsibilities and strengthen the control of Iraqi forces over land and air domains.

Targeting an Iranian opposition site in Erbil represents an early security test in the post-withdrawal phase, especially given the challenges associated with protecting Iraq's airspace and dealing with drones that have previously targeted multiple sites in the Kurdistan Region.

Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Sabah al-Noman, had previously confirmed in statements that Iraqi security forces possess the highest levels of readiness to protect the country's sovereignty, noting efforts to enhance air defense systems with advanced radars and systems to counter missiles and drones.

Al-Noman also stressed that there are no security gaps between areas under federal government control and the Kurdistan Region, within the framework of security arrangements accompanying the end of the international coalition mission.

Repeated Attacks and Security Challenges
The targeting of Erbil by drones was not an isolated incident but part of a series of attacks witnessed by the Kurdistan Region in recent months, amid rising regional tensions and their impact on the Iraqi security situation.

The region suffered attacks during the past September involving 23 drones and six missiles, distributed across the provinces of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja.

According to these statistics, Erbil was targeted by 18 drones and one missile, while Sulaymaniyah faced four drones and four missiles, and one missile fall was recorded in Halabja.

This raises questions about the ability of Iraqi forces to secure the airspace and prevent future incursions by hostile actors in the absence of coalition support.