A drone strike hit a Chaldean Archdiocese complex in Erbil, Iraq; no casualties were reported. Faith leaders call for peace and global solidarity.
Newsroom (05/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) A drone strike late Wednesday damaged an apartment complex belonging to the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. No casualties were reported, church officials confirmed, though the blast caused significant structural damage to a housing residence originally built to shelter Christian refugees displaced by years of conflict.
According to a statement from the archdiocese, the building—situated in the predominantly Christian suburb of Ankawa near Erbil International Airport—had been largely evacuated several days prior to the attack due to safety concerns linked to its proximity to the airport. The complex, named McGivney House in honor of Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, was funded in full by the charitable organization to support families uprooted by the brutal ISIS-led war from 2014 to 2018.
Night Strike Near Erbil Airport
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. local time on March 4, when both a drone and a missile reportedly struck in two separate moments during the evening. Footage published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language branch of EWTN News, showed the impact and aftermath of the explosions in the Ankawa district.
Local reports indicated that a nearby convent run by the Chaldean Daughters of Mary Immaculate also sustained damage from the blast. The Knights-built complex had previously housed archdiocesan workers and young families forced to flee earlier waves of violence in Nineveh, Mosul, and other conflict zones roughly 60 to 90 miles from the Iranian border.
Calls for Peace and Global Solidarity
In a statement following the attack, Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil called for renewed solidarity among the international Christian community, urging believers to pray for peace and the perseverance of Iraq’s vulnerable minorities.
“We are now in a time once again where we pray for the solidarity and support from our brothers and sisters around the world,” Warda said. “That these times of violence and war will come to an end, and that our suffering people may yet have a chance to return to lives of peace and dignity.”
The archdiocese also released an appeal encouraging global Christians “to remember and pray for the many marginalized people in Iraq, including the small and still threatened Christian minority struggling to remain in their native land.”
Knights of Columbus Reaffirm Commitment
The Knights of Columbus, one of the world’s largest Catholic charitable organizations and a long-time supporter of Iraqi Christians, expressed relief that the strike caused no casualties.
“We rejoice that no lives were lost, and we will continue to stand with the families who called McGivney House their home,” said Patrick Kelly, supreme knight of the order. “We join with our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has encouraged us all to ‘pray for peace, work for peace.’”
While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, the strike underscores the ongoing volatility in Iraq’s northern regions, where tensions between regional powers continue to spill across borders. The Kurdistan Region, previously regarded as a relative safe haven for displaced Christians, is once again facing threats that recall the traumas of Iraq’s recent past.
For Archbishop Warda and his community, the damaged building stands as both a reminder of vulnerability and a renewed call to faith. “We have endured much,” he said, “but the spirit of our people remains unbroken.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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