Iraq condemns drone attack on U.S. base in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi government on Monday condemned an attack by a bomb-laden drone on an airbase housing the U.S.-led coalition forces near Erbil Airport in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.

Yahya Rasoul, the military spokesman of the Iraqi prime minister, said in a statement that the attack occurred near the civil Erbil Airport, injuring several people and affecting the operation of the airport.

Calling the attack a "terrorist act," Rasoul added "such criminal acts aim to harm Iraq's interests," according to the statement.

An armed group named "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed the attack on Monday, adding they also launched a bomb-laden drone on the U.S. Green Village military base at the al-Omar oilfield in Syria.

The attack by the Iraqi armed group is part of a series of retaliatory measures against the U.S. forces amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the group's statement added.