KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources Condemns 'Terrorist' Drone Strikes on Oil Fields

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources has strongly condemned a series of “terrorist attacks” using explosive-laden drones that targeted multiple oil fields in Duhok province early Wednesday morning, calling on the federal government and the international community to take immediate action.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the ministry confirmed that on the morning of July 16, 2025, attacks were carried out on the Tawke, Peshkhabur, and Ain Sifni oil fields, located in the Zakho Independent Administration and the Shekhan district.

“Although the attacks did not result in any casualties, they caused significant damage to the infrastructure of the fields,” the statement read.

The Ministry of Natural Resources described the assaults as being “intended to strike the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region and threaten the safety of civilian employees in the energy sector.”

The Kurdistan Region Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) provided further details, specifying that the strikes targeted facilities operated by U.S.-linked and Norwegian companies. According to the CTD, two explosive drones struck a DNO-operated oil field in the Peshkhabour area between 6:00 a.m. and 6:15 a.m., followed by a third drone hitting another DNO site in Tawke around 7:00 a.m.

At 7:14 a.m., a separate bomb-laden drone attacked the Hunt Oil facility, operated by the U.S.-affiliated HKN Energy, near Baadre in the Sheikhan district, the CTD reported. While these attacks caused material damage, no injuries were reported. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

These incidents are the latest in a wave of similar attacks. The CTD noted that on July 14 and 15, explosive-laden drones also hit the Khormala and Sarsang oil fields.

The escalating attacks prompted a response from the international community and regional leadership. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement condemning the strikes, including the previous ones on Khormala and Sarsang. “The Government of Iraq must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks,” the U.S. Embassy stated, calling the assaults “unacceptable” and urging Baghdad to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

The Kurdistan Region Presidency also strongly condemned the drone attacks, echoing the call for federal intervention. Following an earlier strike on an HKN Energy facility in the Sarsang field, the Presidency urged the federal government to “take all urgent and necessary measures to prevent these attacks, find the attackers, and punish them,” warning that such actions threaten Iraq’s stability.

In its statement, the KRG’s Ministry of Natural Resources called on “all relevant parties in the Federal Government and the international community to take immediate action to protect the lives of civilian employees, ensure energy security, and prevent further attacks.” The ministry concluded by affirming it will “make every effort to protect the lives of its energy sector employees and to maintain its strategic position in ensuring energy stability in the region and the world.”