Kurdistan: A drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Sulaimaniyah governorate has triggered an energy emergency, reducing electricity generation by approximately 2.8 gigawatts (GW), Al Jazeera reported.
Citing Omid Ahmed, spokesperson for the Ministry of Electricity in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the network reported that the explosion disrupted gas supplies to power generation stations across the region.
The shutdown of the Khor Mor field cut off fuel to power facilities serving five major urban centres: Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal and Duhok.
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To prevent a total collapse of the regional electricity grid, authorities have initiated emergency measures to safeguard critical public infrastructure.
"To prevent a complete blackout, the Ministry of Electricity is working, through the operation of hydroelectric power stations at the Dokan and Darbandikhan dams and stations that can be operated with other fuels, to provide electricity to sensitive and important sites such as hospitals and water stations," Ahmed was quoted as saying.
Earlier, a source familiar with the incident told Al Jazeera that gas production had been halted after an explosive drone struck the facility, one of the largest gas fields in northern Iraq.
Kurdish security forces confirmed the drone strike, but no group has formally claimed responsibility. The full extent of the structural damage and whether there were any casualties remained under official assessment, the network reported.
Khor Mor is a key energy source supplying thermal power stations across the Kurdistan region. The facility has repeatedly come under drone and rocket attacks in recent years, causing power outages.
The strike coincided with high-level security talks between Kurdish authorities and Tehran.
The president of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government received an Iranian delegation to discuss cross-border security mechanisms and regional stability.
According to a statement from the KRG presidency cited by Al Jazeera, both sides stressed the importance of regional coordination and the "necessity of relying on dialogue, peaceful solutions, and diplomacy to address disputes and challenges".
The discussions also reviewed existing security agreements signed between Iran, Iraq, and the Kurdish regional authorities.
