Drone Strike Kills Couple in Their Sleep in Erbil Village, Children Survive Traumatized

07-04-2026 11:06

Peregraf — A married couple was killed in a late-night drone strike on their home in Erbil Governorate, while their two young daughters survived, in what authorities described as a "war crime."

Musa Anwar Rasul and his wife, Mujda Asaad Hasan, were killed at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, when an explosive-laden drone struck their house in the village of Zargazawi, in the Darashakran sub-district.

"They were martyred in the sweetness of sleep," according to local accounts, as the strike hit the specific room where the couple had been resting.

The Kurdistan Region's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said the drone was launched from Iran and directly targeted the civilian residence. No additional casualties were reported.

The couple's two daughters, who were in a different room at the time of the explosion, survived the attack. Neighbors said the children were left in a state of shock, with the sound of the blast and the destruction of their home leaving them deeply traumatized.

"Since the explosion, they have been crying and calling out for their parents," a local resident said.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw condemned the strike as a "violation of international law and a war crime," emphasizing that the victims were civilians and the house was not a military target.

The incident comes amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. Today, April 7, marks the 39th day of the war, which began with large-scale strikes on February 28 and has since spread across multiple countries.

Data compiled by Peregraf indicates that more than 650 drones and missiles have targeted locations across the Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of hostilities. The attacks have been attributed either to Iranian forces or to armed groups operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

According to Peregraf's records, at least 15 people — including Peshmerga personnel and security officers — have been killed in these attacks, while approximately 70 others have been wounded.

One of the deadliest single incidents occurred on March 24, when six Peshmerga fighters were killed in Iranian ballistic missile strikes targeting a base in the Soran district of Erbil province.