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Explosive-laden drones were intercepted over northern Iraq's capital of Erbil on Friday, with debris falling near a hotel shortly after the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned that Iran-aligned groups could target sites frequented by foreigners.
Local counter-terrorism forces said international coalition air defenses shot down four drones carrying explosives over the city. Authorities said debris from one of the downed aircraft landed near a hotel in Erbil, but no casualties were reported.
Separately, Iraqi security forces intercepted two drones near what authorities described as a "vital facility" in the southern city of Basra.
Two security sources also told AFP that a drone struck the Burjesia oil complex in Basra, an energy site hosting foreign companies, marking the second such incident on Friday. A security official said two drones were shot down over the facility but a third penetrated defenses and hit the site.
The Security Media Cell said the unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down outside the site. Officials did not disclose the nature of the facility involved. No damage or injuries were reported following the interception.
In another incident, several rockets were fired from a vehicle in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. Some of the rockets landed in empty areas far from Baghdad International Airport and caused no reported human or material losses.
The incidents come amid rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Iran has launched missiles and drones toward several locations in the region that it says host U.S. military assets since late February, while Iran-aligned factions in Iraq have also claimed involvement in attacks targeting American positions.
Erbil, which hosts U.S. coalition forces at nearby military facilities and a large U.S. consulate, has repeatedly been targeted by drones and missiles during periods of regional escalation.
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