A drone strike hit the Emirati‑owned Khor Mor gas complex in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday night, cutting off gas supplies to power plants and triggering widespread outages. The attack occurred at 11:30 p.m. local time, according to the regional natural resources and electricity authorities, and immediately halted all gas flow to the grid.
The Khor Mor field, situated between Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, is a vital energy source for Kurdistan, providing most of the region’s power. The strike eliminated 2,600 megawatts of electricity, disrupting about 80 percent of the power grid, said Omed Ahmed, a spokesperson for the regional electricity authority. AFP correspondents reported blackouts across the region, including in the city of Sulaimaniyah.
A local security source said the drone targeted gas storage tanks, causing a major explosion and a large fire. Iraq’s Joint Operations Command confirmed that the blaze engulfed a major storage tank but resulted in no casualties. Authorities are working with the United Arab Emirates company Dana Gas to investigate the incident and restore operations.
The attack is viewed as an attempt to undermine security and economic stability in a country that has recently begun to regain a sense of normalcy after years of conflict. The Khor Mor complex has been hit several times in recent years, including a drone strike in April 2024 that killed four Yemeni workers. Earlier this year, the Kurdistan region experienced a series of unclaimed drone attacks, mostly against oilfields, raising concerns about energy security and the risk of further disruptions.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest strike, which follows a pattern of unclaimed Katyusha‑rocket and drone attacks on the Khor Mor complex. Iraq has frequently suffered such assaults, and the government continues to struggle to maintain security and stability amid ongoing conflicts. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to restore power to the affected areas.
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