On the night of 14 April 2021, unidentified militants launched an armed drone attack on a U.S. military base located at Erbil International Airport (ORER/EBL) in the northern Kurdistan region. Officials briefly suspended flight operations at the facility, but they have since resumed. The attack damaged a warehouse at the airport, but there have been no reports of casualties. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack; however, video of the incident is circulating on social media accounts of Iran-affiliated Shiite militia groups.
Analyst Comment: Attacks by Shiite militant groups affiliated with the Iranian government, particularly those targeting U.S. military posts, have become increasingly common in northern Iraq. However, prior attacks have generally involved rockets and this event would be the first such incident involving an armed drone. In February 2021, a rocket attack targeted Erbil International Airport and killed one U.S. government contractor
