Armed drone shot down over air base housing U.S. forces in northern Iraq - sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An armed drone was shot down on Tuesday over Erbil airport in northern Iraq, where U.S. and other international forces are stationed, two security sources said.

The Iraqi semi-autonomous Kurdistan region's security agency, Kurdistan Counter Terrorism, said in a statement an armed drone fired by "illegal militia" against Erbil airport was shot down at 09:52 a.m. Iraq time.

It was not clear whether the foiled attack caused any damage or casualties, said the sources.

The incident followed the shooting down of a drone over Erbil airport by air defences systems on Sunday evening. A group called "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" said it was behind that attack.

U.S. and international forces based in Iraq and across the border in Syria have been on high alert amid dozens of attacks on their bases since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Timothy Heritage)