ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Friday denied the presence of an Israeli base in Erbil, and accused groups affiliated with Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being responsible for the recent surge in aerial attacks on the Region.

A string of aerial attacks by unidentified actors have targeted the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk over the past week, coming days after the declaration of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

A suicide drone was shot down near Erbil International Airport on Thursday evening without resulting in any damage or injuries.

In a statement late Friday, the KRG’s interior ministry denied reports by Iran-affiliated media claiming that an alleged Israeli base in Erbil was the target of Thursday’s attack, calling them “far from the truth.”

“There are no Israeli bases in Kurdistan and no such operations have been conducted,” read the statement.

Since 2022, Iran and its proxies have carried out several attacks on the Kurdistan Region under the pretext of targeting bases of Israeli intelligence (Mossad). Erbil has repeatedly denied the presence of Israeli bases in the Region.

“These attacks are carried out by some groups belonging to PMF with the intention of causing chaos and the relevant parties in the federal government should put a limit on these destructive acts and take legal action against the perpetrators,” the interior ministry statement added.

Several drone and rocket attacks have been reported in different areas of Kirkuk, including the international airport, since Monday.

Two drones were shot down in Sulaimani's Tasluja neighborhood late on Tuesday night, reportedly targeting the Peshmerga's Unit 70 headquarters, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

A bomb-laden drone crashed in Garmiyan administration’s Koks subdistrict on Thursday without causing damage.

A suicide drone crashed into a camp for internally displaced Yazidis in the northern Zakho district of the Kurdistan Region in the early hours of Tuesday.

No groups have claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.