Iraqi Bomb Squad dismantles missile found in Turkish drone wreckage in Kirkuk
Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces successfully dismantled a missile found in the wreckage of a Turkish drone shot down by Iraqi air defenses over Kirkuk on Thursday, according to a police source.
"The incident, which occurred in the densely populated Tese'in neighborhood, could have resulted in a catastrophe if the missile exploded." The source told Shafaq News Agency.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was dispatched to the scene after the downed drone was identified as a Turkish-made TAI Anka model.
Iraqi air defenses detected the drone at approximately 10:00 AM as it entered Iraqi airspace from the direction of al-Sulaymaniyah. Brigadier General Abdul Salam Hamoudi Ramadan, Deputy Commander of Air Defense in the Northern Region, said the drone was targeted and destroyed in the Jimen area of central Kirkuk.
"Air defense units detected the drone after it breached Iraqi airspace, and it was shot down as soon as it entered the target zone," Ramadan stated.
A security source in Kirkuk provided further details, indicating that the drone was first detected in the sector of Kiwan Camp, northwest of Kirkuk city. "Upon entering Kirkuk's northern and eastern airspace, the drone was warned. Following standard air defense protocol, the drone was targeted as a warning at 10:25 AM and shot down by the French-made Pantsir air defense system."
The debris from the drone was transported to a military site for investigation, with the Turkish origins of the drone confirmed through an examination of the wreckage.
This incident is not the first of its kind. The source noted that there had been several previous encounters between Turkish drones and Iraqi Air Defense in the vicinity of Kirkuk. Still, in those instances, the drones withdrew following the issuance of warnings.
The TAI Anka is a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions. It is equipped with synthetic aperture radar, precision weapons, and satellite communication capabilities.
