Key Highlights
- Incident:A drone attack targeted the Khor Mor gas field in northern Iraq.
- Impact:The attack caused a loss of 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts of power.
- Response:Emergency measures are in place to restore electricity to critical services.
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan Region, Iraq — A devastating drone attack targeted the strategic Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimaniyah governorate late Sunday night, igniting a major fire at the facility and forcing an immediate, complete shutdown of gas production across the region.
The strike has plunged northern Iraq into a severe energy emergency, knocking out between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of generating capacity—wiping out up to 80% of the Kurdistan Region’s total power output within hours. The attack occurred at approximately 11:10 p.m. local time when multiple drones struck the Khor Mor complex, operated by the Pearl Petroleum consortium led by Dana Gas. Explosions ignited a massive blaze at an LPG storage tank, prompting emergency response teams to battle the flames while facility personnel were hastily evacuated into emergency shelters.
In a joint statement, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Electricity condemned the strike as a deliberate "terrorist attack" on critical civilian infrastructure. The immediate loss of natural gas feedstock starved power generation stations supplying major urban centers across the region. Emergency blackouts were immediately reported across Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Duhok, Bazian, and Chamchamal.
KRG Ministry of Electricity spokesperson Omed Ahmed confirmed that more than 70 percent of the regional grid went offline overnight. To prevent a complete systemic collapse, energy officials have redirected water flow toward the Dukan and Darbandikhan dam hydroelectric stations and transitioned back-up turbines to liquid fuels, prioritizing power delivery strictly to critical infrastructure like public hospitals and municipal water treatment plants.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi ordered a joint high-level security investigation alongside Kurdish regional security officials to identify the origin and launching sites of the drones. While no group has officially claimed responsibility for the strike, preliminary assessments indicate no staff casualties occurred on site.
The Khor Mor field, a vital engine of the region's economy, has faced repeated drone targeting over recent years. Municipal leaders warned that without swift repair of the facility's damaged tanks and piping networks, scheduled residential power cuts could persist for days, putting immense pressure on localized diesel generator networks to keep basic services running.
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