ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the formation of a joint committee with authorities in the Kurdistan Region to investigate a late Sunday attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, his office said on Monday.
In a statement, the prime minister's office said "the heinous attack" took place at 11:10 am (local time), adding the preliminary information indicated that the incident "did not result in any human casualties."
Gas production at the field, located in Chamchamal district, west of Sulaimani, was suspended following the strike, which hit a gas storage unit and triggered a massive fire, according to Rudaw's reporter on the ground.
The projectile caused significant damage to the facility, although its origin and type remained unclear. A source told Rudaw that it was not possible to determine whether the strike involved a rocket or an attack drone. A separate security source said the attack was launched from Tuz Khurmatu, a disputed town south of Kirkuk.
The strike reportedly hit the field's warehouse and truck-loading unit, which stores approximately 1,500 tons of cooking gas across 170 tanker trucks.
The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Electricity Ministry said the shutdown would reduce the Region's electricity generation capacity by 2,800 megawatts, underscoring the immediate impact of the attack on the Region's energy infrastructure.
Telegram channels affiliated with Iraqi pro-Iran armed groups, which have previously been accused of attacking Khor Mor, claimed the strike was carried out using a "suicide drone."
Sunday's attack ended an almost four-month lull in strikes against the strategic gas field, which supplies the bulk of the Kurdistan Region's electricity generation and household cooking gas.
A KRG official told Rudaw in late July that Khor Mor had been targeted 12 times, killing three of its personnel.
The attacks escalated following the outbreak of a 42-day war between the United States, Israel and Iran in late February. Tehran's retaliation extended to Gulf and Arab countries as well as the Kurdistan Region, which has faced more than 1,000 drone and missile attacks since the conflict began.
Dana Gas, the UAE-based company responsible for gas production at Khor Mor, repeatedly suspended operations during the conflict as a precautionary measure before gradually restoring production from August.
The latest strike also comes amid concerns over the Kurdistan Region's vulnerability following the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS's departure on September 30.
KRG officials have repeatedly called on Baghdad to provide security guarantees and prevent further attacks on the Region's critical infrastructure.
