British troops come under attack as they shoot down flurry of Iranian drones

RAF Regiment forces using Rapid Sentry air defence system shot down 14 one-way attack drones at Erbil base in the biggest assault in a single night since the Middle East crisis began

Abigail Hunt Content Editor

18:49, 24 Mar 2026Updated 18:53, 24 Mar 2026

[British forces destroyed 14 "kamikaze" drones overnight]

British forces destroyed 14 "kamikaze" drones overnight(Image: Getty Images)

British forces destroyed 14 "kamikaze" drones overnight, marking the highest number eliminated in a single evening since the Middle East crisis began.

Defence Secretary John Healey informed ministers during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting that a counter-drone unit had neutralised them whilst defending against an assault on a joint facility in Iraq.

The one-way assault drones were eliminated from the Erbil installation, which accommodates British and American personnel, it is understood. Expert troops from the RAF Regiment, responsible for protecting British installations, deployed the UK's Rapid Sentry air defence system to counter the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

A defence source revealed: "Where we have UK forces and operating the Rapid Sentry system, they shot down 14 one-way attack drones just in one night last night, I mean, hugely impressive action, and that is the largest number that they've shot down in a single night."

[The one-way assault drones were eliminated from the Erbil installation]

The one-way assault drones were eliminated from the Erbil installation(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

The coalition facility in northern Iraq has faced previous assaults.

Military leaders reported two weeks ago that several UAVs struck the installation, causing some injuries amongst US forces but none amongst British staff.

With the conflict entering its fourth week, the volume of drones and rockets launched by Iran and its allies was believed to be declining. However, Tehran's offensive seemed to intensify once more on Monday evening.

"What we're seeing is the rate of attacks last night returning to the norm that we'd seen pre-Eid," the defence source stated, referencing the Islamic Eid al-Fitr festivities at the conclusion of last week. The assault on the Erbil base occurred after President Donald Trump stated Washington was engaged in discussions with the Islamic Republic to conclude the war, whilst Iran refuted any negotiations were underway.

[The coalition facility in northern Iraq has faced previous assaults]

The coalition facility in northern Iraq has faced previous assaults(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Tuesday that extra British Army Stormer air defence systems equipped with cutting-edge missiles had reached Cyprus to bolster air defences across the region.

This follows British warship HMS Dragon's arrival in the eastern Mediterranean to protect the island nation on Monday, three weeks after an Iranian-manufactured Shahed drone hit a hangar at British airbase RAF Akrotiri.

The sluggish deployment has attracted condemnation from the Labour Government's political opponents, alongside the Cypriot government, which seeks to reassess the status of Britain's two bases on Cyprus.

In an operational briefing, the MoD also stated: "Royal Air Force Typhoons and F-35 jets continued their defensive missions overnight, including over Cyprus, Jordan, and Qatar.

"Force protection measures in the region continue to be at the highest levels ensuring UK personnel are as safe as possible. We are also working closely in co-ordination with allies."

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A summary from Tuesday's Cabinet meeting revealed Mr Healey informed ministers the UK had shielded allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan from assaults overnight, and that more than a dozen drones had been destroyed. He informed the meeting that the UK's pilots had flown nearly 900 hours defending British interests and allies over the past four weeks.

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