People watch as smoke billows from an oil warehouse in the Kani Qirzhala area on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, following a drone strike. AFP
Iraq has been increasingly and unwillingly drawn into the war on Iran that was started by Israel and the US strikes on February 28, provoking Iran's retaliation with similar strikes on US interests in the country.
The country's northern autonomous Kurdistan has not been spared.
The regional capital, Erbil, hosts a major US consulate complex, while its airport houses military advisors from a US-led international anti-jihadist coalition. Both have been regularly targeted since the outbreak of war.
Erbil's governor, Omed Khoshnaw, said the attack had started at around 0700 am local (0400 GMT) and that four drones had targeted the facility.
He said a double-tap attack had occurred, "while the teams were still working, the same site was attacked by another drone".
A fourth drone was "destroyed mid-air before reaching its target," he said, adding that the blaze was ongoing.
Iraqi firm Sardar Group confirmed in a statement that the facility, a warehouse located around five kilometres (three miles) from Erbil, was attacked.
It said there were no casualties.
The company said it was not involved in any way in the Middle East war and that its operations were limited to services and investment, including "the storage of lubricants for automobiles, agricultural equipment, and construction".
The strike followed a heavy night of attacks near the regional capital, with Khoshnaw saying some 20 drones had been shot down over the city.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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