Turkish drone shot down by Iraqi air defenses over northern city of Kirkuk

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Iraqi air defenses shot down a Turkish drone Thursday morning over the northern city of Kirkuk, Iraqi military officials said.

The incident came as the two countries have been attempting to develop closer economic and security ties, raising concerns amid the already volatile security situation in the region.

Brig. Gen. Abdul Salam, deputy commander of air defense, told reporters that the drone came from the direction of Sulaymaniyah and crossed into Iraqi airspace. He said it was a Turkish drone and was shot down by the Iraqi air force in the Chiman area of Kirkuk.

The Iraqi air force said in a statement that the drone was issued a warning “according to protocol” and then was shot down by air defenses. It said the drone fell on a civilian house, causing “only material losses.”

“Based on the inspection of the wreckage parts of the drone, it was found to be of the Turkish type,” it said.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials.

Witnesses reported seeing the drone spiraling out of control before it crashed on the outskirts of the city. Security forces cordoned off the site.

The drone landed next to a civilian house, but no casualties or significant property damage were immediately reported.

Kirkuk is a strategically significant city with a diverse religious and ethnic population that has been the focus of political and ethnic issues and the site of military operations against remnants of the Islamic State extremist group.

Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s and is banned there and in Iraq.

The PKK has maintained bases in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. In recent months, Turkey has built up its troops in northern Iraq and has threatened an offensive to clear PKK forces from the border area.

Baghdad has complained that the strikes are a breach of its sovereignty but has also taken a tougher stance against the PKK in recent months.

Last week, two female journalists with a local Kurdish outlet were killed in a reported Turkish airstrike that hit their car in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, sparking protests.