British forces shoot down Iranian drone heading towards Iraq

 An Iranian drone heading towards Iraq was shot down by British forces on Saturday night.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the engagement occurred as RAF Typhoons were conducting defensive sorties around the area.

A Merlin Helicopter is also set to arrive in the region shortly.

A spokesman from the MoD said: "UK forces successfully engaged a one-way attack drone fired from Iran towards Iraq last night."

The spokesman continued: "The engagement occurred as RAF Typhoons and F-35 jets continued to conduct defensive sorties across the region.

"A Merlin helicopter is due to arrive in theatre, further strengthening our ability to detect aerial threats.

"The aircraft can fly a mile in height, giving advance warning to drones or missiles."

It comes as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre is reporting of an incident six nautical miles north of Oman in Strait of Hormuz.