The Iraqi Air Defense Command confirmed on Thursday that it shot down a Turkish "Anka" drone over the city of Kirkuk. The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 AM when an unidentified drone entered the northern and eastern airspace of Kirkuk.

According to an official statement, the Iraqi Air Defense Battery stationed at Kiwan Camp detected the drone and, following established protocols, initially targeted it with a warning shot. At 10:25 AM, the drone was brought down using the French Pantsir air defense system.

The drone crashed into a residential home in Kirkuk's Taseen neighborhood, causing material damage but no injuries. The debris was later examined, and it was confirmed that the drone was of the Turkish "Anka" model.

This incident is the latest in a series of encounters between Turkish drones and Iraqi air defenses around Kirkuk. Previous engagements have seen Turkish drones withdraw after receiving warnings from Iraqi forces.

Earlier, the Kirkuk Operations Commander reported that they had downed the drone as it lacked authorization to fly in Iraqi airspace. Eyewitnesses in the city reported hearing several explosions before seeing a strange object fall from the sky, accompanied by thick smoke near the main market complex along Airport Street.

Security forces quickly secured the crash site, and intelligence agencies have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the unidentified drone.

Kirkuk police confirmed that the incident resulted in no casualties, and the damage was limited to a single home. Civil Defense teams in Kirkuk successfully extinguished a fire that broke out after a piece of the drone fell into the home's yard.