Deputy prime minister of the northern autonomous region, Qubad Talabani, blamed the "persistent" drone strikes -- which target US military advisors belonging to an international anti-jihadist coalition -- on what he called "outlier militias" operating from Iraq.

"We have raised this numerous times with the federal government. We have asked them to engage, to stop these groups from attacking the Kurdistan region," he said, saying Baghdad had "committed" to stopping the attacks.