Iraqi security sources said that air defenses intercepted three explosive-laden drones near the US consulate in the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, according to Reuters.

An Iraqi security source told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that two drones targeted the headquarters of the Iranian opposition Freedom Party in Erbil, noting that no information about casualties or losses from the attack was available.

Following the incident, the Iraqi News Agency announced that Erbil International Airport temporarily suspended its flights, before later announcing the resumption of air operations normally.

Earlier, Iraqi air defenses had shot down a booby-trapped drone near the Harir airbase east of Erbil, which hosts US forces, without reporting any injuries or damage.

The Kurdistan Region, which hosts US forces as part of the international coalition to combat ISIS, along with foreign oil companies and Iranian Kurdish opposition parties, has been a frequent target for attacks by Iran or Iraqi armed groups loyal to it.

This escalation falls within the context of renewed tensions between the United States and Iran, in the most severe wave of escalation since reaching a ceasefire agreement last April, manifested in drone attacks over Erbil, the capital of the region, and strikes targeting Iranian opposition parties based there.