Drone Strike Hits Anti-Iran Separatist Positions in Iraqi Kurdistan

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — A drone strike targeted positions held by anti-Iran separatist groups in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah province late Tuesday, local officials and witnesses said. The attack occurred around 9:37 p.m. local time, sending shockwaves through the region and raising concerns about escalating tensions in the Kurdish enclave.

The strike hit a compound used by several opposition factions that have long operated from Iraqi soil to challenge Tehran's influence. No immediate claims of responsibility were made by any state or non-state actor. Local security forces cordoned off the area as emergency crews assessed the damage and searched for survivors.

Witnesses described a series of explosions followed by heavy smoke rising from the site. "We heard the drones first, then the impact," said one resident living nearby, who asked not to be identified. "The ground shook for minutes."