Kurdistan Regional Government loses 70% of power after drone hits Khor Mor gasfield
Officials in northern Iraq report that gas supplies to major cities were halted following the Sunday night attack, leaving hospitals and water plants on backup hydroelectric sources.
By Lorenzo Marshall ·
Smoke and flames rose from the Khor Mor gasfield in Sulaimaniyah governorate on Sunday night after a drone carrying explosives struck the storage facility. The impact triggered a fire and severed the gas pipeline that feeds the region's power plants, plunging more than 70 percent of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region into darkness. Sanad, the fact-checking agency for Al Jazeera, verified footage of the blaze rising from the site.
Security sources in Baghdad confirmed that the drone hit the Khor Mor gas storage facility. The disruption immediately halted gas deliveries to power stations serving Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal, and Duhok. Omid Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity, stated that the loss of fuel took between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation off the grid.
Other security sources cited by reporters in Baghdad placed the reduction in the energy grid’s total capacity between 70 and 80 percent. The strike occurred during a period of heightened regional tension and followed a similar incident at the same facility last year. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Sunday night attack, and it remains unclear if the strike is connected to the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
In response to the blackout, the electricity ministry activated hydroelectric stations and plants that can run on alternative fuels. Ahmed said these backup sources would prioritize power for essential services, specifically hospitals and water treatment plants, while gas supplies remain suspended.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that an initial assessment found no casualties from the attack. He ordered the creation of a joint investigative committee involving authorities from the Kurdish region to examine the circumstances of the strike. The committee is tasked with determining who was responsible for the drone.
The incident marks the second time in a year that the Khor Mor facility has been targeted. The first attack also went unclaimed. Officials continue to manage the power grid with limited capacity as the fire at the storage site is contained and gas flow is restored.
