Drone attack on Iraq’s Khor Mor gasfield triggers major power crisis across Kurdistan
Drone attack on Iraq’s Khor Mor gasfield (Image courtesy: Screenshots from a viral video shared on X.)
New Delhi: A suspected drone strike on a major gas facility in northern Iraq has triggered a fresh electricity crisis across the Kurdistan region, disrupting more than 70 per cent of its power supply. The attack forced the suspension of operations at the Khor Mor gasfield after an explosion sparked a fire at the site on Sunday night.
The disruption has taken approximately 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation offline, according to the regional electricity ministry. The incident also raises fresh concerns over the security of critical energy infrastructure amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Dana Gas suspends production
UAE-based energy company Dana Gas, which operates the facility confirmed that production had been halted following what it described as a suspected drone attack. In a statement on Monday, the company said the fire had been extinguished and an assessment of the damage was underway.
Two sources in the regional electricity ministry told Reuters that the drone struck an LPG storage tank, causing the fire. Employees were reportedly moved to shelters inside the facility following the incident, while the company confirmed that no staff members had been injured.
The disruption has affected gas supplies to power stations serving Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal and Duhok. Omid Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan regional government’s ministry of electricity, told the Iraqi News Agency that authorities were working to protect electricity supplies to essential services, Al Jazeera reported.
Hospitals and water treatment facilities are being prioritized through electricity generated by hydroelectric stations and plants operating on alternative fuels. The regional government is attempting to limit the impact of the shutdown while investigations into the attack continue.
Baghdad orders investigation
The Iraqi prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, has ordered a joint investigative committee involving federal and Kurdish regional authorities to determine how the attack occurred.
The natural resources and electricity ministries of the Kurdistan region have described the incident as a terrorist attack. However, no organization has claimed responsibility, and the identity of those behind the strike remains unknown.
Repeated attacks raise concerns
The Khor Mor facility has faced security threats before, including a drone attack in November 2025. Kurdish officials have previously blamed Iranian-backed armed groups for attacks on energy infrastructure, although no such attribution has been established for Sunday’s incident.
Dana Gas had also temporarily suspended operations at the facility’s main production units in July, citing security threats and regional instability, before resuming production later that month.
The latest attack comes amid heightened military tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Although a direct connection between the strike and the wider conflict has not been established, Iraq’s position between competing regional powers continues to complicate its security situation.
