Key facts
- An explosive drone targeted a camp of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group north of Erbil, Iraq.
- The camp had recently been evacuated, and no casualties were reported.
- The Azadi camp in Koysinjaq district was hit by five drones, believed to be launched from Iran.
- Property damage was reported, but no casualties.
- The strike is part of a wider escalation in the region, with over 735 attacks recorded since February 28.
An explosive drone targeted a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group north of Iraq's Erbil, security sources told Reuters. No casualties were reported as the camp had recently been evacuated, according to the security sources. The Azadi camp in the Koysinjaq district of Erbil province was targeted late on Thursday into Friday by five drones, believed to have been launched from Iranian territory. Opposition figures said the attack caused damage to property but no casualties. Kawa Bahrami, a representative of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said one drone was intercepted before reaching the camp, while others fell nearby, resulting in only material damage. This strike is part of a broader escalation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which has increasingly been drawn into regional tensions. Figures cited by local officials suggest that since February 28, more than 735 rocket and drone attacks have been launched at targets in the region, many by Iraqi armed factions aligned with Tehran, with some strikes believed to have originated inside Iran. Ali Shankali, another member of the Iranian Kurdish opposition, stated that the attacks are intended to send a message to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, keeping them under constant threat, and to Baghdad and Erbil, demonstrating Tehran's enforcement of security red lines beyond its borders. He also noted that the targeting of a camp housing civilians, including women and children, suggests an expansion of pressure beyond armed groups to their wider communities. Despite the repeated strikes, there has been no official response from the Iraqi government, raising questions about its ability to assert sovereignty and potentially emboldening further attacks.