Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants have successfully shot down a Turkish Akinci reconnaissance and strike drone near the Iran-Iraq border.

Footage of the interception was shared online.

On the night of March 16-17, the PKK militants used an unspecified anti-aircraft system to down the heavy Turkish drone. The wreckage of the drone fell near the village of Sofia in Sulaymaniyah province, which is located less than 20 kilometers from the Iranian border.

In the footage, it can be seen that the drone was tracked using the thermal imaging channel of an optical station, suggesting that the interception was part of a pre-planned ambush.

The PKK, which typically lacks advanced air defense systems, likely used an Iranian-made anti-aircraft missile, the ‘358’.

This missile, due to its specific design solutions, can also be classified as a drone-missile.

It’s capable of being launched from a basic guide without the need for complex radar systems. It uses an infrared seeker that locks onto heat-contrast targets, such as drones, when they enter its field of view.

The presence of the Iranian ‘358’ missile in Iraq was first confirmed in 2021, when ready-to-use samples were discovered near the American Al-Harir air base.

Regional media began reporting in June 2024 that Iran had been supplying the PKK with those missiles to counter Turkish military operations, as reported by Militarnyi’s columnist Urich.

An Iraqi source close to the PKK claimed that Iran had supplied the ‘358’ missiles in parts, which had then been assembled by local militants. This assembly process reportedly took about two years, with some of the work occurring in the southern part of Sulaymaniyah.

It is noteworthy that this attack occurred just two weeks after the PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkey.

The ceasefire was endorsed by the PKK’s leadership, including its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, who called for a halt to hostilities.

The PKK’s executive committee publicly supported the call for peace.
In March 2025, the Houthis in Yemen shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, likely using the same Iranian ‘358’ missile.