Drone strike hits Iraq gas complex, cuts supply, no immediate claim of responsibility

A drone strike on Wednesday targeted an Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, disrupting the gas supply to the region’s power plants, local authorities say.

“At 11:30 pm [10:30 p.m. Israel time], a drone attacked the Khor Mor gas field facility, cutting off all gas supplies to power plants,” the regional natural resources and electricity authorities say in a statement.

AFP correspondents in Kurdistan report power cuts across the region, including in the city of Sulaimaniyah.

The Khor Mor gas field lies between the cities of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah and supplies most of the Kurdistan region’s power.

Omed Ahmed, the regional electricity authority spokesperson, says the attack resulted in the loss of 2,600 megawatts of electricity, disrupting 80 percent of the region’s power grid.

Authorities say they are coordinating with the United Arab Emirates company Dana Gas to investigate the attack and restore operations.

A local security source tells AFP that the attack “targeted gas storage tanks, causing a major explosion and large fire”.

Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, which coordinates between security forces and the military, says the attack, which set fire to a major storage tank, did not cause casualties.

It adds that the attack aims at “hindering security and economic stability” in a country that has just recently regained a sense of stability.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.