JOC investigates Turkish drone crash in Kirkuk with “technical team”
Shafaq News/ The Joint Operations Command (JOC) has established a task force to investigate the crash of a Turkish drone in central Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, despite earlier reports from air defenses that it had been shot down.
The JOC's statement detailed that “Iraqi air defenses detected the drone within the Kirkuk Operations Command area.”
“The drone's flight path was tracked as it approached the city center, which houses government offices, major economic hubs, and vital objectives.”
The statement further indicated, “All relevant security agencies and International Coalition Forces were consulted to determine the drone's origin.”
The investigation revealed that the drone had crashed within the city, and it was confirmed to be of Turkish origin. “The JOC has now assembled a technical team, including forensic experts, air defense personnel, and drone specialists, to ascertain the cause of the crash and the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
On Thursday morning, a Turkish drone was detected and subsequently brought down by Iraqi air defenses over Kirkuk.
The sequence of events began around 10:00 AM when the Iraqi Air Defense system first detected the drone near Kiwan Camp, located northwest of Kirkuk city. The drone, which had entered Iraqi airspace from the direction of Al-Sulaymaniyah, was tracked as it approached the northern and eastern sectors of the city. A warning was issued in line with standard air defense protocols.
At 10:25 AM, the French-made Pantsir air defense system engaged the drone. According to a security source, "the drone crashed into a residential house in Kirkuk's Tese'in neighborhood, causing material damage but no injuries." Brigadier General Abdul Salam Hamoudi Ramadan, Deputy Commander of Air Defense in the Northern Region, confirmed that the drone was targeted and destroyed as it approached the Jimen area in central Kirkuk. "Air defense units engaged the drone immediately after it breached Iraqi airspace," Ramadan stated.
Eyewitnesses reported a loud explosion and subsequent fire as the drone crashed near the main market complex adjacent to Airport Street. Social media footage showed the drone ablaze before it burned out completely upon impact. The wreckage was identified as a Turkish-made TAI Anka drone, a type developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions, equipped with advanced radar and weapons systems.
Moreover, Iraqi security forces discovered and successfully dismantled a missile found within the wreckage. This potentially hazardous find was reported by a police source, who noted, "The incident, which occurred in the densely populated Tese'in neighborhood, could have resulted in a catastrophe if the missile exploded."
