Drone Attack on Iraq’s Khor Mor Gasfield Cuts Power to 70% of Kurdish Region

A Sunday night drone strike on the Khor Mor gasfield in northern Iraq knocked between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation off the grid, cutting power to more than 70 percent of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The explosive-laden drone slammed directly into the liquefied petroleum gas storage tank at the facility, located in the Sulaimaniyah governorate. The impact sparked a massive fire that continued to rage, while employees inside the compound were immediately evacuated to shelters.

The devastation at the site rippled instantly across the territory. Omid Ahmed, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity, stated that the attack completely suspended gas supplies to power plants in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal, and Duhok.

With the primary grid severely crippled, the ministry scrambled to manage the deepening crisis.

Amid the wreckage, early indicators offered a brief measure of relief. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that initial assessments showed no casualties from the strike. In response to the breach, Al-Zaidi ordered a joint investigative committee to work alongside Kurdish authorities to determine the exact circumstances of the attack.

The regional electricity and natural resources ministries issued a joint statement condemning the incident as a terrorist attack and pledging to minimize its disruption.

As investigators picked through the aftermath, no group claimed responsibility for the strike. Officials have not yet determined whether the assault connects directly to the wider military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The facility is no stranger to peril. Joint field operator Dana Gas previously suspended main production at Khor Mor in July due to regional security threats before restarting operations later that month. The latest violence underscores the severe energy and shipping vulnerabilities Iraq continues to face amid ongoing conflict and regional trade disruptions.