Kurdistan Presidency Slams Attacks on Energy Infrastructure, Demands Iraqi Response
The Kurdistan Region Presidency condemned recent drone attacks on infrastructure, warning they threaten stability and investment. It urged Iraq's federal government to act swiftly to stop the attacks, identify the perpetrators, and hold them accountable.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region Presidency and the United States have strongly condemned a pair of drone attacks on vital oil fields in the Kurdistan Region, issuing urgent calls for the Iraqi federal government to prevent future strikes and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The condemnations follow drone attacks on Monday and Tuesday that targeted the Khurmala and Sarsang oil fields. The Tuesday morning strike on an HKN Energy Ltd. production facility in the Sarsang field, Duhok province, caused a significant fire and forced a suspension of operations, though all personnel were safely evacuated with no injuries reported.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Kurdistan Region Presidency said, "We strongly condemn the attacks carried out by drones against infrastructure and various areas in the Kurdistan Region." The presidency declared that the attacks jeopardize the country's stability and investment, demanding that "The federal government of Iraq must take all urgent and necessary measures to prevent these attacks, find the attackers, and punish them."
Explosion at HKN Energy’s Sarang Field Triggers Emergency Response; No Injuries Reported!
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) July 15, 2025
Despite the absence of casualties, the facility remains engulfed in flames. Emergency response teams are currently on site, working to contain the fire and prevent further damage.
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The United States echoed this call, with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate General in Erbil issuing a joint statement condemning the strikes as "unacceptable." The statement, reported by Kurdistan24 earlier on Tuesday, urged the Iraqi government to exercise its authority "to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory."
"We urge the Government of Iraq to investigate who is behind these attacks and hold them accountable,” the U.S. statement added.
The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) officially confirmed both incidents were drone attacks. In a statement to Kurdistan24, the ministry revealed that a strike had targeted the Khurmala oil field in Erbil province on Monday night before the attack on the Sarsang field Tuesday morning. "The Ministry of Natural Resources strongly condemns and denounces these acts of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure," the MNR stated.
HKN Energy Ltd. confirmed in a press release that an explosion occurred at its Sarang field facility around 7:00 a.m. local time, triggering a major emergency response to contain the resulting fire.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
