Sulaimani Governor Condemns Khor Mor Attack
Sulaimani Governor condemned the Khor Mor gas field drone attack, urging federal and KRG cooperation to protect Iraq's stability. A KRG official accused "federal government payroll" groups of the strike that caused 80% power reduction.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Sulaimani Governor Dr. Haval Abubakir on Thursday strongly condemned the latest drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field, calling for unified efforts between the federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and all authorities to protect Iraq’s stability and prevent further escalation.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, the governor declared:
“On behalf of Sulaimani province, we condemn the violent and unjust attack on the Khor Mor fields. The federal government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and all responsible authorities must fulfill their duty to protect the country and ensure the security of this region without hesitation.”
He warned that continuation of such external, unlawful, and destabilizing attacks—especially those originating outside recognized state institutions—poses a direct threat to the safety and sovereignty of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The governor added that failing to hold perpetrators accountable only encourages the repetition of such violations and undermines the security of the people, the land, and the resources of Iraq.
Abubakir further emphasized that unresolved internal political disputes within the Kurdistan Region have created openings for hostile actors to exploit:
“The persistence of internal disagreements in the Kurdistan Region creates opportunities for dark and harmful agendas and gives enemies space to turn our home into a battlefield.”
He urged all parties to bring an end to the current instability and protect the country from any internal, regional, or international threat.
A senior official in the Kurdistan Regional Government accused groups “on the federal government’s payroll” of carrying out the latest strike on Khor Mor.
Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said the attack once again targeted one of the most vital energy facilities in the Kurdistan Region.
“The usual terrorists on the federal government’s payroll have once again attacked our critical Khor Mor gas field, leading to blackouts in neighbourhoods across the Kurdistan Region,” he stated.
Ahmad added that electricity exports from the Kurdistan Region to other parts of Iraq—approximately 10% of Iraq’s total power generation—had also been halted as a result of the attack.
He sharply criticized Baghdad’s response to the repeated assaults and urged the United States to authorize the KRG to purchase air-defense systems.
“How many attacks must happen before the US government simply allows the KRG to purchase kinetic anti-drone equipment for us to defend our skies and critical infrastructure? The Iraqi government isn’t interested,” he said.
Efforts to extinguish the fire at the Khor Mor gas field remain underway after multiple drone attacks late Wednesday forced a complete shutdown of production and operations.
Kurdistan24 correspondent Hawzhin Jamal, reporting from the scene, confirmed that civil defense teams have successfully contained part of the blaze but that fires continue to burn in a sensitive and high-risk section of the facility.
A specialized technical team has been deployed to bring the situation fully under control, with expectations that the remaining fire will be extinguished in the coming hours.
Several individuals were injured in the attack and transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to Jamal.
Following the attack, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced that it has suspended gas exports to electricity generation stations across the Kurdistan Region.
The KRG said that the shutdown is necessary while damage assessments and emergency procedures are carried out in coordination with the field’s operator, Dana Gas.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani strongly condemned the overnight drone strike, calling on the federal government in Baghdad to identify and prosecute those responsible.
He stressed that repeated attacks on strategic energy sites threaten the stability of the entire region and must not be allowed to continue.
Barzani also urged international partners to support efforts aimed at preventing future strikes on vital infrastructure.
The Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province has been targeted multiple times in recent months, raising deep concerns over the security of Iraq’s and the Kurdistan Region’s strategic energy infrastructure. The continued attacks have disrupted electricity production and caused significant power shortages across the region.
