The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Interior Ministry on Friday pointed the finger at Iranian-backed militias in Iraq as the culprits behind the recent drone attacks.
These attacks began on June 24, when the ceasefire was coming into force after 12 days of fighting between Israel and Iran conflict.
The US had bombed Iran, and then Qatar helped broker a truce. As this was happening, drones targeted several Iraqi military bases. Radar sites at Camp Taji and the airbase at Imam Ali were struck. The Imam Ali Air Base is near Nahariyah in southern Iraq. Camp Taji is a massive base north of Baghdad.
Within days, the attacks spread. Rockets were launched at the airport at an air base at Kirkuk airport. It was not clear from local reports if the target was Kirkuk's civilian airport or a military air base northwest of Kirkuk, called K-1.
The Iran-backed militias launching drones across the Middle East
Rudaw, a media outlet based in Erbil, the capital of the KRG, reported that local authorities believe the Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) organization, is behind the attacks. This is a group consisting of dozens of pro-Iranian militants. Some of them have access to Iranian drones and missiles.
Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba are all examples of powerful militant groups associated with this organization. Kataib Hezbollah launched a drone attack in January 2024 that killed three Americans in Jordan. These organizations have targeted Israel as well in the past. They have also attacked US bases in Syria and American troops in Iraq.
“Last night, a drone crashed in a deserted area near Erbil. These attacks are being carried out by some groups affiliated with Hashd al-Shaabi to create chaos and disorder. The relevant parties in the federal government must set limits on these destructive acts and take legal measures against the perpetrators,” the KRG’s ministry said in a statement late on Friday.
“An explosive-laden drone was intercepted near the Erbil International Airport on Thursday but did not cause any casualties or material damage,” the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism, which is part of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, said.
Per Rudaw, “The renewed drone activity follows the US-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on June 24, ending the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. During the conflict, numerous drones and rockets flew through the airspace of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where several drones fell or were intercepted.”
Iraq is not happy. The KRG is an autonomous region. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, the PMF enjoys support from pro-Iranian politicians who hold significant influence in Iraq.
This includes key groups such as Badr, which is a member of the PMF and also a powerful political machine in Iraq. The PMF was able to become an official paramilitary group of Iraq in 2018, receiving salaries from the government despite its connections to Iran and illegal activity such as drone attacks, assassinations, and kidnappings.
For instance, Kataib Hezbollah kidnapped the Princeton researcher, Russian Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov, in March 2023. The Trump administration has sought to free her.
Now, the Iraqi government has condemned the Kurdistan Regional Government, claiming it is unacceptable for Erbil to blame the PMF.
“The accusation issued by the Interior Ministry in the Kurdistan Regional Government against an official Iraqi security institution is unacceptable, condemned, and impermissible under any pretext, especially since it was issued in the absence of evidence,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in a statement.
Rudaw reported the statement. Baghdad’s rejection of the accusations was also reported in Arabic media. Iraq is also in the midst of the Ashura pilgrimage this weekend.
Iraq’s Shafaq News said that the Joint Operations Command in Baghdad has planned for “security arrangements with the Supreme Coordination Committee, comprised of the interior, electricity, and health ministers, as well as the governors of Karbala, Babil, and Najaf, the service committees, the Joint Operations Command, and the police and Popular Mobilization Forces.”
There is also an ongoing dispute over salaries and energy deals between Baghdad and Erbil. Moreover, Iran says that Iranian dissident groups are present in the Kurdistan Region.
This comes as Iran has arrested hundreds after the conflict with Israel in a major crackdown. The Islamic Republic has targeted Kurds in the clampdown. Iran is likely using the PMF to target the KRG as part of this process.