Christian Leaders Condemn Attack on Khor Mor Gas Field, Stand in Solidarity with Kurdistan Region
Bishops call for protection of energy infrastructure as electricity outages disrupt daily life amid winter conditions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Christian religious leaders in the Kurdistan Region issued a strong condemnation of the recent attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Chamchamal district, Sulaimani province, warning that the assault on the region’s vital energy infrastructure has disrupted electricity supply, affected hospitals and schools, and threatened the daily lives of citizens.
In a joint statement, bishops from Erbil expressed their concern over the widespread power outages caused by the assault, which disrupted schools, hospitals, and other critical services during the harsh winter.
They emphasized their awareness of the hardships faced by families, particularly the elderly, patients, and students preparing for their semester exams.
The statement praised the rapid response of technical and firefighting teams who worked tirelessly to extinguish the fires and restore gas flow, helping to mitigate the immediate effects on the population.
“We express our deep appreciation for the teams that have labored without rest to bring the facility back online,” the bishops wrote.
The leaders also underscored the broader social and economic implications of targeting energy infrastructure, calling it “a direct assault on the welfare and dignity of citizens” and a threat to stability across both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
They extended solidarity and prayers for all affected, urging authorities at both federal and regional levels to intensify protection of vital facilities, identify the perpetrators, and rapidly restore essential services.
Signatories of the statement included:
- Bishop Nathaniel Nizar Semaan, Archbishop of Hadiyab for the Syriac Catholic Church.
- Bishop Nicodemus Dawood Matty Sharaf, Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul, Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Region.
- Bishop Bashar Matty Warda, Archbishop of Erbil for the Chaldeans.
The Khor Mor gas field, located in the Chamchamal district of Sulaimani province, is one of the most critical energy facilities in the Kurdistan Region, producing around 500 million cubic feet of natural gas daily to fuel regional power stations.
The recent attack on the facility caused a temporary shutdown of production, prompting an emergency response by technical teams from the Kurdistan Region.
A high-level security delegation, including the Interior Ministers of the KRG and Iraq, as well as the head of Iraq’s National Intelligence Service, visited the site to assess the damage, investigate the attack, and coordinate a rapid restoration of energy supply.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also convened a joint rapid-response committee to hunt down the perpetrators, emphasizing that such assaults threaten not only the Kurdistan Region but the entire nation’s stability.
The bishops highlighted that the Kurdistan Region’s history of peaceful coexistence between religious and ethnic communities serves as a foundation for unity during challenging times.
They affirmed their support for the regional leadership and people as they face attacks on essential infrastructure, reinforcing the message that such acts of sabotage cannot undermine the region’s commitment to security, prosperity, and social harmony.
“We lift our prayers for peace and safety in Kurdistan and across Iraq, so that dialogue prevails over violence and every citizen can live in dignity and security,” the statement concluded.
