2026-03-13T17:00:03+00:00
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Shafaq News- Baghdad
Repeated drone attacks targeting Baghdad International Airport have
spread fear among residents living in surrounding neighborhoods, with locals
describing the situation as “terrifying,” as the sound of drones and their
interception at night has become constant.
Since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched
attacks on Iran, factions operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq
umbrella say they have carried out more than 200 attacks on US military
facilities across Iraq. Several of the drones launched during the escalation
have targeted the Diplomatic Support Center inside the Baghdad airport complex,
while others have flown over nearby residential districts before reaching the
airport.
A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed
that some incidents have already affected residential areas. The source
revealed to Shafaq News that a drone fell near houses in the al-Turath
neighborhood in western Baghdad, injuring a woman, while a projectile landed in
the al-Jihad neighborhood.
Security expert Jalil Khalaf linked the attacks to what he
described as armed factions operating outside the authority of the federal
government. In remarks to Shafaq News, he explained that Iraqi security
institutions have struggled to contain these groups, which he said have chosen
to strike US-linked targets in Iraq —such as the embassy or military sites— “even
if they are empty.”
The danger for civilians persists even when drones are intercepted
in the air, according to security expert Saif Raad. “When drones are targeted
in the sky by air-defense systems belonging to either Iran or the United
States, large parts of them remain intact,” Raad said, warning that the debris
may include fuel, explosive materials, or secondary fragments capable of
causing casualties and damaging homes or infrastructure.
Raad added that commonly used attack drones can carry explosive
payloads of around 50 kilograms or more, meaning a crash or detonation in a
populated area could cause severe damage, with shrapnel potentially spreading
up to 200 meters.
For residents living near the airport, the threat has already
altered daily routines. Haneen Khaled, who lives in a neighborhood close to
Baghdad International Airport, explained to our agency that her family recently
moved their sleeping arrangements to the ground floor of their home out of fear
that debris from a drone could strike the upper floor. She added that her
husband is considering covering the roof with sandbags as a precaution to reduce
the impact if an explosive drone were to hit the building.
In the al-Budur residential complex adjacent to the airport,
families say anxiety has become constant. “The attacks happen day and night,”
Jamila Kamel said, adding that explosions leave residents and their children
frightened because of their proximity to the airport.
Some residents in the complex have temporarily moved to relatives’
homes in other areas, fearing that a drone could fall on their houses.
“There are no guarantees for the safety of families here,” warned
Abdul-Basit al-Dulaimi, a resident of the al-Furat neighborhood near the
airport, noting that drones and air-defense interceptions occur above areas
filled with women and children who are not part of the conflict.
Read more: Drone incidents reported across 14 Iraqi provinces in latest escalation
