Armed groups sabotage Iraq’s already desperate electricity infrastructure, deepen power crisis

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Islamic State (IS) extremists continue to target Iraq’s electricity plant stations and power transmission lines as the country suffers from a power shortage.

In a statement on Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity said “terrorist groups” detonated a power station southwest of Kirkuk, causing power shortages in parts of Kirkuk province.

It added that “terrorist groups” also blew up three transmission lines in the Brima, al-Multaqa, and al-Khzaifi areas of Kirkuk’s Hawija district, cutting electricity supply to the region.

According to the Ministry statement, this is the eighth attack on the country’s energy infrastructure.

The Ministry has exhausted its capacity and potential and now finds it difficult to restore services as its stores are running out of equipment to renovate the destroyed power stations and transmission lines, the statement revealed.

The Ministry called on security forces to track criminals who aim to hurt the Iraqi people.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, another transmission line in Baghdad was sabotaged by armed men, causing a power shortage in the Iraqi capital’s al-Rasafa area, the Ministry of Electricity said.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi suspended the Electricity Minister due to the poor performance of the sector and until investigations into his case are over.

In mid-July, the Ministry of Electricity revealed that Iran cut electricity supplies to Iraq due to unpaid bills. The Iranian move has exacerbated the country’s power crisis creating widespread anger and demonstrations across several provinces in southern Iraq.

Since July 8, people have taken to the streets demanding the government provides them with better services, one of those demands being better electricity.

According to the former Iraqi Parliament’s Energy Committee, the country has spent 40 billion USD on the energy sector since 2003, yet the government has not been able to provide 24-hour electricity to its people.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany