Iraq

Security sources told Reuters that defence systems at a U.S. base in northern Iraq shot down an armed drone over the airport in Erbil on Thursday, where U.S. soldiers and other international forces are stationed. But Iraq’s Kurdish counter-terrorism service denied the claim, saying in a statement that no drone was shot down. Two security sources earlier said an armed drone was shot down around 7:10 p.m. local time and an explosion was heard at the airport. The drone strike’s announcement follows a series of recent attacks in the region, with the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas creating new tensions across the region. /ritzau/Reuters/