Multiple Drone Attacks Target U.S.-Linked and Norwegian Oil Fields in Kurdistan Region
The attacks caused material damage to the targeted infrastructure, but no injuries were reported, the CTD said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Three separate drone strikes targeted oil installations in the Kurdistan Region early Wednesday, including U.S.-linked and Norwegian-operated fields, according to the Kurdistan Region Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD).
At 7:14 a.m. on Wednesday, a bomb-laden drone attacked the Hunt Oil facility operated by the U.S.-affiliated HKN Energy near Baadre in Sheikhan district, Duhok province. Fortunately, no casualties or material damage were reported.
Earlier, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:15 a.m., two explosive drones struck the DNO-operated oil field in the Peshkhabour area of the Zakho Independent Administration, northern Kurdistan Region. A third drone hit another DNO site in the village of Tawke, also within Zakho, around 7:00 a.m.
The attacks caused material damage to the targeted infrastructure, but no injuries were reported, the CTD said.
No group has claimed responsibility so far.
The latest strikes follow a wave of similar drone attacks over the past two days targeting key energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. On July 14 and 15, explosive-laden drones hit the Khormala and Sarsang oil fields, both vital to the region’s energy sector.
In response, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement condemning the attacks, including those on the Khormala and Sarsang facilities, and urged the Iraqi government to take decisive action. “The Government of Iraq must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory, including locations where Iraqi and international companies have invested in Iraq's future,” the statement read. It added that the attacks are “unacceptable, undermine Iraq's sovereignty, and hurt Iraq's efforts to attract foreign investment,” calling on Baghdad to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency also joined the United States in condemning the recent wave of drone attacks, urging swift action from Baghdad to safeguard critical infrastructure. The Presidency stated on Tuesday following the strike on an HKN Energy Ltd. facility in the Sarsang field in Duhok province, which ignited a major fire and halted operations, though no casualties were reported. “We strongly condemn the attacks carried out by drones against infrastructure and various areas in the Kurdistan Region,” the statement read, warning that such actions threaten Iraq’s stability. It called on the federal government to “take all urgent and necessary measures to prevent these attacks, find the attackers, and punish them.”
