Attack on north Iraq's Khor Mor field causes blackout, prompting joint investigation

Dana Gas announced on Thursday that the attack on the Khor Mor gas field was carried out with a missile. The Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) also announced a joint investigation into the attack, which caused a total blackout in the Kurdistan region and reduced Iraq's national grid power supply.

Dana Gas, a United Arab Emirates-based company, stated in a press release that none of its employees were injured in the attack. However, a major condensate storage tank was set alight by the missile, prompting a complete shutdown of production for damage assessment and safety checks. The company is working with local authorities to restore operations and resume supply to the market.

The Khor Mor gas field, situated between Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, supplies over 80 per cent of the Kurdistan region's electricity and also contributes to the Iraqi national grid.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from Iraqi and Kurdish officials, who have called for an immediate investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice. Foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq and the Kurdistan region have also denounced the incident.

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated on the social media platform X that, following the attack, he received a call from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who condemned the strike and described it as an attack on Iraq as a whole. Barzani said both leaders agreed to establish a joint investigative committee to identify and prosecute those responsible.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister al-Sudani later confirmed that the Iraqi leader had ordered the formation of a joint committee with the KRG to determine those behind the attack.

In a further statement on X, Barzani strongly condemned the attack and called on the federal government to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice. He insisted that those responsible must not be allowed to repeat such crimes or evade accountability, as has happened in previous incidents.

Barzani also appealed to American and international partners for defensive equipment to safeguard civilian infrastructure and support decisive action to deter future attacks.

Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, also condemned the attack, describing it as a 'terrorist' act aimed at harming the livelihoods of citizens and undermining regional stability. He vowed a decisive response, pledging to take all necessary measures to protect civilians.

Talabani further emphasised that arms should remain solely in the hands of the state, and that militias operating outside the law must be disbanded or dismantled.

The gas field, which falls under the de facto control of the PUK, has been targeted several times in recent years by both drones and missiles.

Irfan Siddiq, the British Ambassador to Iraq, emphasised that attacks on vital infrastructure threaten the country's stability and the safety of its people. He said the United Kingdom stands with Iraq and supports efforts to protect critical facilities, urging accountability for those responsible.

It remains unclear whether the attack is linked to ongoing intra-Kurdish power struggles following last year’s parliamentary elections. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has recently indicated that it may resume its parliamentary seat and form a new cabinet without the PUK. A PUK official warned on television that such a move could disrupt gas supplies from the region’s 24-hour electricity known as the Runaki Project, expressing hope that matters would not escalate to that point.

In the aftermath of the attack, the KRG's Ministry of Electricity announced that daily power supply had dropped to just five hours.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Electricity reported that the shutdown of the Khor Mor gas field has resulted in a loss of 1,200 megawatts in the Kurdistan Region.

Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Musa told the Iraqi News Agency that the national power system lost 1,200 megawatts due to a halt in energy-purchase contracts from investment-based power plants in Kurdistan.

He added that this shortfall was a direct result of the shutdown at the Khor Mor gas field.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on the Khor Mor gas field, stating that it represents a direct threat to Iraq's security, stability, and national economy.

Barzani said the attack deliberately targeted the economic and service infrastructure of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and constitutes a direct security threat.

He called on the federal government in Baghdad and relevant security agencies to take urgent action to prevent further attacks, pursue those responsible, and bring them to justice.

Barzani also stressed the importance of protecting vital infrastructure, warning that attacks on such sites harm citizens and threaten stability in both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.