Drone Attack Halts Production at Iraq's Khor Mor Gasfield, Cuts Power to Kurdish Region

A drone attack on the Khor Mor gasfield in Iraq's Kurdistan Region triggered a fire and cut electricity to more than 70 per cent of the semi-autonomous area overnight on Sunday, Iraqi and Kurdish officials said.

The strike suspended gas supplies to power plants serving the cities of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal and Duhok, knocking between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of generation off the grid, according to Omid Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Electricity, as reported by the Iraqi News Agency.

To maintain essential services, the ministry said it would rely on hydroelectric stations and plants running on alternative fuels to supply electricity to hospitals and water treatment facilities.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said initial assessments indicated no casualties from the attack, and he ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with Kurdish authorities to examine the incident.

Al Jazeera reported that security sources described an explosive-laden drone striking the gas storage facility, reducing the energy grid's capacity by 70–80 per cent. The broadcaster’s fact-checking agency verified footage showing smoke and flames near the site in Sulaimaniyah governorate.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid heightened regional tensions. A similar drone strike hit the same facility last year without any claim of responsibility.