ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The tragic killing of a married couple northwest of Erbil on Tuesday was caused by a drone attack “launched from Iran,” the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) reported, condemning such attacks as a violation of international law and classifying them as a potential “war crime.”
In a statement on Facebook, the CTD said, “On the night of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 00:15 [local time], an explosive-laden drone launched from Iran struck the house of a citizen in Zargazawi village, located in the Darashakran sub-district within Erbil province.”
The statement added that “a married couple - Moussa Anwar Rasoul and Majda Asaad Hassan - were martyred” as a result, with the CTD strongly denouncing such attacks as “a violation of international laws” that constitute “a war crime.”
The Kurdistan Region’s CTD emphasized its condemnation of such assaults “in the strongest possible terms.”
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw on Tuesday that three drones had targeted Zargazawi - a rural agricultural village with no known military presence - with two falling in open land and the third striking the couple’s home.
He further described the past 24 hours as “one of the hardest days” for the Kurdistan Region, citing “numerous drones and missiles launched,” particularly toward Erbil.
According to Rudaw’s tracking data, the Region was targeted by 21 drones in just 24 hours - 17 aimed at Erbil and the southeastern Koya district, while four others struck the eastern Sulaimani province.
While no group has claimed Tuesday’s deadly drone attack, shadow Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ have previously declared responsibility for many of the recent strikes on the Region, framing them as part of Tehran’s purported retaliation for the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in late February.