Drone attack on Khor Mor gas field kills four Yemenis, cuts power
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A “terrorist” drone attack on Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province killed four Yemen nationals on Friday evening, said the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson. The attack also affected power generation in the Kurdistan Region.
Khor Mor gas field in Chamchamal, operated by the UAE-based Dana Gas, was attacked by a drone, Ramik Ramazan, the mayor of Chamchamal, told Rudaw.
“It is the same place that was hit last time,” he said, referring to a January 26 drone attack on the field and adding that the area is “under construction.”
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani condemned the drone attack.
"I would like to emphasize that this attack will put the stability and tranquility of the country in jeopardy. The relevant authorities in Iraq should do their duty by preventing such attacks and finding the perpetrators, regardless of which party they are affiliated to, let them face the legal consequences," he said.
KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani called the incident a “terrorist” attack and said four Yemen nationals were killed.
The attack caused "a huge amount of damage to the field and this damage will dramatically decrease the production of power,” Hawramani added in a statement, calling on the federal government to find the perpetrators and prevent such attacks from happening in the future.
Ramazan later told reporters that two other Yemen nationals were slightly injured in the attack.
No group has claimed responsibility.
Khor Mor field produces 452 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, according to Dana Gas. The gas is a key fuel source for electricity generation plants in the Kurdistan Region, which has been affected.
“Due to a drone attack on the Khor Mor field, the sending of gas to power generation stations has been halted and as a result electricity generation has dropped by nearly 2,500 megawatts,” read a joint statement from the KRG’s electricity and natural resources ministries.
They added that the staff of both ministries are working to restore electricity production.
Electricity generation has dropped to just 1,260 MW, according to the government spokesperson.
KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani condemned the attack.
"We call on the Iraqi government and the relevant authorities in the [Kurdistan] Region to immediately launch a detailed investigation and take serious steps to prevent the repetition of these attacks, which cause the death of civilians," he said in a statement.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has ordered the formation of an investigatory committee to "find out the circumstances of the sabotage attack" on Khor Mor, the Iraqi Security Media Cell said in a statement.
The perpetrators will "receive their punishment," it added.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned Khor Mor attack, saying that initial information indicated it was carried out from ‘a nearby region within Iraq’ and demands ‘swift action’ from Baghdad.
Khor Mor field has come under rocket attacks several times over the past few years, reportedly by Iraqi militia groups affiliated with Iran. The attack on the field in January occurred during a spate of rocket and drone strikes by Iraqi armed groups that mainly targeted American forces and rarely caused casualties or damage.
Despite the security threat, Dana Gas said in 2022 that they would be able to meet the Kurdistan Region’s full gas demands in about two years.
US Ambassador to Iraq Alina L. Romanowski said in a post on X that Washington "strongly" condemns the Friday attack on the gas field, urging Iraqi authorities to "conduct a full investigation and bring those responsible to justice."
Updated at 11:59 pm