BAGHDAD, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Eight explosive-laden drones were shot down on Friday morning over Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, local authorities said.
The regional Directorate General of Counter Terrorism said in a statement that the drones were intercepted between 4:19 a.m. local time (0119 GMT) and 5:25 a.m. local time.
No casualties were reported, it added.
The incident came amid heightened tensions across the Middle East as the United States and Iran exchanged attacks over the past few days. The United States conducted strikes on Iranian targets, while Iran responded by striking U.S. bases and facilities in several Gulf countries. ■
