Explosions were heard Saturday near the US Consulate in Iraq’s northern Erbil governorate following a kamikaze drone attack, local sources said.

Air defense systems were activated in response to the attack, the sources said.

Footage circulated on social media showed air defenses engaging the drones and destroying them in the air.

Another kamikaze drone was shot down near Erbil Airport, where a US base is located.

Earlier in the day, a drone attack also targeted the Duhok residence of Nechirvan Barzani, head of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government.

Hostilities in the region have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, inflicting casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul