Baghdad's Silence on Kurdistan Oil Field Attacks Fuels Fears of Militia Impunity

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A persistent and troubling silence from the Iraqi federal government regarding a series of audacious drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region's vital oil fields over the past three months is fueling deep-seated concerns over the unchecked power of armed militias and the erosion of state authority.

Despite the passage of a significant period of time since the attacks, which targeted critical energy infrastructure in Erbil, Duhok, and Zakho, Baghdad has yet to publicly identify or hold accountable the perpetrators.

In the immediate aftermath of the initial Khurmala attack, the Iraqi Security Media Cell, the official mouthpiece for the federal security establishment, issued a statement announcing that they were "coordinating with the security and intelligence forces in the Kurdistan Region to investigate the details of this aggression."

However, in the more than three months since that pledge of cooperation was made, no official findings have been announced, no arrests have been publicized, and no group has been formally blamed by Baghdad for the series of attacks.

This official silence stands in stark contrast to the widespread belief among observers and officials in the Kurdistan Region about who is behind the aggression. Military analyst Ahmed Amedi, speaking to Kurdistan24, was blunt in his assessment, stating that the identity of the perpetrators is an open secret.

"We know three parties are behind these attacks," he said, asserting that physical evidence from the downed drones themselves points to the culprits. "Even those drones that have fallen, had signs and markings on them, it is clear that Nujaba, Hezbollah and Qais Khazali are behind it."

He was referring to Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Kata'ib Hezbollah, and the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq organization led by Qais al-Khazali—all powerful, Iran-aligned militias that are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi.

Amedi pointed to the inherent contradiction in the federal government's position, even referencing a statement by Iraq's own National Security Advisor.

"Even Qasim al-Araji said: there are four parties that attack the Region, why don't they name them?" he asked. The reason for this official reticence, he argued, is the overwhelming power these groups wield over the state itself.

"Hashd al-Shaabi is dominant and has 90 percent authority over the federal government," he concluded, painting a picture of a federal government that is effectively held hostage by the very non-state actors it is supposed to control.

This perception of a captured state, unable or unwilling to enforce its own laws against powerful armed factions, is what is driving the KDP's determination to take the issue to the international stage.

Ibrahim Ali, a KDP candidate in Duhok province, articulated the party's new strategy, stating that a strong Kurdish bloc in the next parliament will no longer accept Baghdad's silence.

"We will go to Baghdad and tell international law, the international courts, Kurdistan's allies, America and Western countries, it is unacceptable for these attacks to continue while we are a part of Iraq, and for the government to say we do not know who the attackers are," he declared.

This signals a clear intent to internationalize the issue, leveraging diplomatic and legal pressure to force a level of accountability that the Iraqi domestic political system seems incapable of delivering.

The federal government's inability to name and prosecute the perpetrators of these attacks is seen as a deeply troubling sign for the future.

It suggests a state of impunity where powerful armed groups can attack a constitutionally recognized region's economic infrastructure with little fear of reprisal from the central government.

This not only undermines the sovereignty of the Iraqi state but also poses a direct and ongoing threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region.

This failure to act, which analysts and Kurdish political figures attribute to the overwhelming dominance of powerful armed groups over the federal government, is being seen not just as a failure of justice, but as a dangerous precedent that threatens the future security and stability of the entire region.

The wave of attacks, which intensified after 2022, has targeted not only oil and gas fields but also general infrastructure and oil transport stations, representing a direct and sustained assault on the economic lifeline of the Kurdistan Region.

The most recent and concentrated series of attacks occurred in mid-July 2025. On the evening of July 14, two booby-trapped drones struck the Khurmala oil field in Erbil province at 8:20 PM and 8:25 PM.

According to a statement released at the time by the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources, the attack fortunately resulted in "no casualties," though it did cause damage to the station's water pipes.

The very next morning, on Tuesday, July 15, the campaign of aerial aggression continued, with a drone attack targeting the Sarsing oil field in the Amedi district of Duhok province.

This attack had an immediate and significant economic impact, prompting the American company HKN, which operates the field, to temporarily halt its oil production as a safety precaution.

The Ministry of Natural Resources again confirmed that this attack also resulted in "no casualties."

The coordinated nature of the assault became even more apparent in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 16, when three additional attacks were carried out on three separate oil fields in the Zakho and Duhok regions.

While these attacks, too, did not result in any loss of life, the KRG's Natural Resources Ministry stated that they "caused a lot of damage to the infrastructure of the fields," underscoring the attackers' clear intent to disrupt and degrade the region's energy production capacity.

The attacks are not just acts of sabotage; they are a form of coercive political violence, a clear and dangerous message sent from powerful factions who oppose the KRG's constitutional rights and its strategic partnerships with international energy companies.

As long as Baghdad remains silent, that message will continue to echo, posing a grave danger to the fragile balance of power that underpins the entire Iraqi federal system.