Sound of explosions near Erbil Airport.. Official clarification of the reasons

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A drone was shot down near Erbil Airport in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on Sunday, according to security sources reported to Reuters.

The sources stated that the air defenses shot down the drone in the vicinity of the airport, without revealing its source or the party that launched it.

Initial information did not provide details about any injuries or damages resulting from the incident, nor was the potential target of the drone clear.

Simultaneously, AFP reported an explosion near Erbil Airport, where forces from the international coalition led by the United States are stationed in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, according to journalists from the agency.

In a later development, the Counter-Terrorism Service in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq clarified, according to Al Arabiya's correspondent, that "the two explosions heard in Erbil were due to military exercises and security activity," in a clarification that coincided with reports of the drone being shot down near Erbil Airport.

The service did not provide additional details in the initial statement regarding the nature of the exercises or security activity, while it had previously announced that air defenses shot down a drone near the airport.

The incident comes amid a state of security tension in the region, while no additional official details have been provided by Iraqi authorities or the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding the incident.

The vicinity of Erbil Airport includes security facilities and sites, and the area has previously witnessed incidents related to drones during periods of regional tension.

Investigations and subsequent official information are expected to reveal more details regarding the drone's trajectory and its launch source, while the identity of the responsible party remains unknown so far.