Kurdistan counter-terrorism agency deny drone crash in Erbil amid attacks on nearby US base

Shafaq News/ The Counter-Terrorism Agency in the Iraqi Kurdistan region denied on Saturday that a drone crashed in a residential neighborhood in Erbil, the capital of the region.

The agency, in a press release today, said that "media outlets published news that a drone had crashed in one of Erbil's neighborhoods."

The explosion, according to the press release, was caused by a "hand grenade," and that "security forces are investigating the situation."

The statement contradicted a previous report by a local source, who said that a drone had crashed in the Qalay Nouri neighborhood of Erbil. The source said that the crash caused damage to several civilian cars.

The source did not provide further details about the drone, including its origin or purpose. However, the crash comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iranian-backed paramilitary groups waging two consecutive drone attacks on the Harir base, which houses U.S. troops near Erbil, earlier today.