PM Barzani 'deeply troubled' by repeated Khor Mor attacks
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani late Sunday said he was “deeply troubled” by the repeated attacks on a key gas field in the Kurdistan Region while urging people to stay “resolute.”
The Khor Mor gas field, run by UAE-based Dana Gas in Sulaimani's Chamchamal district, was subject to three rocket attacks in under a week, sparking concern in the Region as it has seen an unprecedented volume of rocket and drone attacks since the start of the year.
PM Barzani said he has spoken to key political partners in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to help boost security in the area.
In a phone call with Iraq PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Barzani emphasized the “need for joint Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to fill any remaining vacuum in the disputed territories used by lawless groups to recklessly destabilize the whole of the country,” read Barzani’s statement.
The premier has directed the Kurdish Peshmerga and interior ministry respectively to take the necessary measures to protect “critical public infrastructure and oil and gas installations,” reaching an agreement to reinforce the area with additional forces.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks targeting the crucial gas field which come at a time of intensifying tensions between Baghdad and Erbil over the Kurdistan Region's oil and gas law, which Iraq's top court deemed "unconstitutional" amid growing Kurdish ambitions to export gas.
The PM also spoke with White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, according to the statement.
"Our American friends, and every investor must remain committed; we cannot give in to fear," he noted.
Barzani said he was to urge “international friends and partners, and the UN Security Council to renew efforts with Erbil and Baghdad and explore ways for us both to protect against more terror attacks.”
Khor Mor field produces 452 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, according to Dana Gas.
On Friday, the gas field was targeted by at least one rocket which caused a fire to break out but reported no casualties or injuries.
A Katyusha rocket struck the field on Wednesday, slightly injuring two contractors.
The attacks have sparked a new wave of concern in the Kurdistan Region with Kurdish officials calling for the prevention of such offenses. The US on Sunday urged an investigation into the attacks.