AFP reports that flights to and from Erbil and Sulaimaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan were temporarily suspended beginning Monday due to Russian cruise missiles crossing the airspace.
Iraq's "Civil Aviation Authority decided to suspend all departing and arriving flights from and to Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports" for 48 hours from 8:00 am (0500 GMT) on Monday, in a statement released by authorities.
Russian missiles have cause multiple international concerns over the weekend. On Friday, Russian cruise missiles fired from the Caspian Sea passed over northern Iraq on the way to targets in Syria. On Saturday, multiple Lebanese flights had to reroute or cancel services after a warning from Russia to avoid airspace over the eastern Mediterranean.
Both airport directors confirmed the decision to temporarily suspend flights to avoid Russian cruise missiles, according to AFP.
"There are fears for the aircraft and passengers due to Russian missiles," said Talar Faeq, director general of Erbil airport.
Sulaimaniyah airport director Tahir Abdullah agreed, saying that the flights at his airport were suspended "because of the intensification of Russian missile attacks on Daesh strongholds in Syria."
Russia began airstrikes on Daesh in September 2015, in support of Syrian President Assad.
