ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Tuesday strongly condemned a series of drone attacks targeting vital oil infrastructure over the past two days, urging the federal government in Baghdad to take urgent measures to prevent further attacks and bring those responsible to justice.
In a statement the Presidency said, “We strongly condemn the drone strikes on infrastructure and various locations within the Kurdistan Region, including the assaults on oil fields in Khurmala and Sarsang that occurred” on Monday and Tuesday.
The statement underlined that the Iraqi federal government must “urgently take all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent such attacks, identify the perpetrators, and hold them accountable.”
It warned that “these attacks pose a serious threat to the stability, sovereignty, and both internal and external security.”
Earlier on Tuesday, an explosion hit the Sarsang oil field in the Kurdistan Region’s northern Duhok province, operated by the US-based HKN Energy, which holds a 62 percent stake in the field.
In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, HKN Energy confirmed that “an explosion occurred” around 7:00 am local time.
“All personnel have been safely accounted for, and no injuries have been reported,” the company said, adding that “operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured and a full evaluation is completed.”
Just a day earlier, two explosive-laden drones targeted the Khurmala oil field, southwest of Erbil, late Monday night. According to a security source speaking to Rudaw, the drones were intercepted by US-led coalition forces. No casualties were reported in that incident either.
Of note, the drone attacks occurred just hours before Iraq’s state-run North Oil Company (NOC) signed a preliminary agreement with HKN Energy to develop the Hamrin oil field in Iraq’s southernmost Basra province on Tuesday.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) natural resources ministry on Tuesday denounced the incidents as “terrorist attacks” against the Region’s economic infrastructure.
The US Consulate General in Erbil echoed these concerns, describing the drone strikes as “unacceptable” and calling on the federal government in Baghdad to “exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks,” particularly at sites involving both Iraqi and international investments.
Drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region have intensified since the outbreak of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran that began on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the recent strikes, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior has accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of orchestrating the attacks - a charge Baghdad has dismissed as “unacceptable.”