Three civilians were killed on Wednesday when an unidentified drone targeted their vehicle in the Khalakan district of Sulaymaniyah province, according to local officials. The victims have been identified as Muzaffar Hussain and his two sons, Mohammad Muzaffar and Mubin Muzaffar, who were residents of the Hajiawa district within the Raparin administration.

The drone strike marks a significant escalation in violence in the region, which has experienced an increasing number of drone attacks in recent months. While local authorities have yet to issue an official statement, the mayor of Dukan confirmed that the attack was carried out by a drone and that the three individuals were deliberately targeted.

No group or country has claimed responsibility for the strike, though suspicion has fallen on Turkey, which frequently conducts drone operations in the Kurdistan Region, particularly targeting members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

In late August, the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter-Terrorism (CTD) reported that a Turkish drone bombed a vehicle carrying PKK members near the village of Taparashi in the Said Sadiq district of Sulaymaniyah, killing two individuals. Shortly afterward, Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MIT) claimed responsibility for the killing of Gulistan Takik, a senior PKK member, during an operation in Sulaymaniyah.

The latest attack has intensified tensions in the region, where civilian casualties resulting from military operations have sparked public outrage and raised concerns about the growing involvement of foreign forces in local conflicts.