At least two drones were intercepted near the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, causing a loud bang, security officials said.
“The sound heard in Baghdad resulted from the handling of a drone in the vicinity of the Green Zone,” said Maj Gen Saad Maan, the head of the government's Security Media Cell.
Another security official confirmed a second one was also shot down. The US embassy's air defence systems were activated after detecting the two drones approaching the perimeter of the Green Zone, he said.
Videos on social media showed debris from the two drones in two locations.
Security forces were carrying out investigations into their origin and targets. No damage or casualties were reported.
The heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad houses government buildings, parliament and foreign embassies, including the US Embassy, and is frequently targeted by drones and rockets.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, the Green Zone has come under repeated attacks. Iran-backed militias grouped under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched near-daily drone and rocket strikes on US interests, with the US Embassy — a sprawling complex inside the fortified zone — as their primary target.
In one attack, rockets and at least five drones were launched at the embassy in waves, with C-RAM air defences intercepting two drones while a third struck inside the compound, causing a fire and smoke to rise. The Al Rasheed Hotel inside the Green Zone, which also houses diplomatic missions, was also hit. The attacks were framed by the armed factions as solidarity with Iran and as retaliation for US strikes that killed militia commanders.
The drone interception comes as Iraq transitions to a post-US-led anti-ISIS coalition. Under a 2024 agreement between Baghdad and Washington, the coalition ended its mission on September 30, with the departure of the last US troops with their equipment.
The withdrawal ended the 12-year Operation Inherent Resolve mission that began in 2014 after ISIS seized a third of Iraq. The Pentagon said about 2,500 US personnel had been in Iraq in recent years, down from 170,000 at the height of the 2007 surge. The Combined Joint Task Force is now headquartered in Jordan and continues operations against ISIS in Syria.
Baghdad has hailed the withdrawal as an "important milestone" and the start of a new phase based on sovereignty, while Iran-aligned groups claimed it as a victory. However, the exit has also removed a key layer of air defence — including C-RAM and Patriot systems that had protected the Green Zone — raising concerns, particularly in the Kurdish region, about gaps as militia drone attacks continue and ISIS cells remain active.
