BAGHDAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Three explosive-laden drones were shot down on Wednesday evening near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, a Kurdish security source said.
According to the source, who spoke to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, air defense systems of the U.S. consulate intercepted and destroyed the drones above the city.
"The interception caused no casualties among civilians or security personnel," the source said, adding that the security forces immediately cordoned off the crash site to clear the debris and launched an investigation to determine the launch site and origin of the drones.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The U.S. consulate in Erbil, along with the nearby military base housing U.S. and international coalition forces at Erbil International Airport, has occasionally been targeted by drone and rocket attacks in recent years, with armed militias often blamed for the strikes. ■
