ARBIL: A drone attack on Monday targeted a military base in northern Iraq used by US-led forces. The number of attacks targeting the coalition, which deployed troops to Iraq to fight the militant Islamic State group, has surged since the start of the Gaza crisis on Oct 7.

In Monday’s incident a drone was launched towards a base close to Arbil airport, in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Iraqi prime minister’s spokesman said in a statement.

The attack caused injuries, he said, without giving further details.

A US military official confirmed that a drone attack was launched “at US and coalition forces” at the air base, adding “we are still awaiting injury and damage assessments (if any)”.

Not long after the drone attack, Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have launched a drone against another base, close to Harir which is northeast of Arbil.

That base is also home to US-led forces.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq is a loose formation of armed groups affiliated with the Hashed Al Shaabi coalition of former paramilitaries that are now integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces.

A tally by US military officials has counted 103 attacks against its troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct 7.

The majority of those attacks have been claimed by Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which opposes US support for Israel.

Earlier this month, the US embassy in Baghdad was targeted with rocket fire.

That attack, the first of its kind since the start of the Gaza crisis, was not claimed by any group.

The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani announced several arrests and said some had links to the security services.

Washington has around 2,500 soldiers deployed in Iraq and about 900 in Syria. The international coalition has been fighting the militant Islamic State group since 2014.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2023