Armed Drone Detonates Near US Consulate in Northern Iraq

Three civilians were injured when a drone armed with explosives detonated near the US consulate in Irbil in the north of Iraq. The drone, which exploded on Wednesday night, also damaged cars in the area. Reuters quoted unnamed security officials as saying that the drone targeted the US consulate and that it was shot out of the air. No group or individual has claimed responsibility, though previous drone attacks in the area have been linked to the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The explosion did not damage buildings in the area that house US troops. Some 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq as part of a multi-national force in the country to fight the Islamic State. In March, Iran attacked Irbil with a dozen ballistic missiles, saying that the attack targeted “secret Israeli bases” and two “strategic centers” of Israel’s Mossad security agency. Iraq later said an investigation found there was no Israeli presence in the areas. The attack was also considered a warning to the US, a staunch ally of Israel.