A drone attack on the Khor Mor gasfield in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq has drawn attention to the security challenges facing the country’s energy sector, amid escalating regional tensions and domestic political disagreements over restricting weapons to state control.
asserted
attack → draw → control
The attack in Sulaimaniyah governorate late on Sunday sparked a fire and forced the suspension of gas supplies to several power stations, initially reducing electricity generation in areas administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) by between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts, according to regional officials.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3Drone attack suspends production at Iraq’s Khor Mor gasfield
- list 2 of 3Can new US task force stop flow of weapons to Iran?
- list 3 of 3US aims to cut off Iran’s transport of advanced weapons: What we know
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with KRG authorities to determine who was behind the attack.
No group has claimed responsibility, but the attack comes as regional tensions are heightened due to the US-Israel war on Iran, with Baghdad facing pressure to bring weapons held by predominantly pro-Iranian Shia armed factions under state control.
uncertain
Baghdad → spark → control
KRG authorities have blamed Iran-backed groups in Iraq for previous attacks on the field in recent years.
asserted
authorities → blame → years
The attack also comes days after the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced its withdrawal from the KRG, deepening a political crisis with its rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Test of Iraqi sovereignty
Mohammed Amer, a political science academic and a member of the KDP, said the Khor Mor attack represents a genuine test of the Iraqi state’s sovereignty and its ability to rein in armed groups operating outside its control, and protect its territory and vital facilities.
“The [federal Iraqi] government bears responsibility for protecting Iraqi territory and airspace,” Amer told Al Jazeera.
asserted
Amer → come → Jazeera
“The repeated targeting of energy sources in the Kurdistan Region also requires it to hold accountable the parties and factions behind these attacks, and to question the authorities responsible for the areas from which they are launched.”
asserted
they → require → which
Amer urged the Iraqi government to accelerate efforts to bring weapons under state control, warning that repeated attacks coud deter foreign investment in Iraq’s energy industry.
asserted
attacks → urge → industry
“These strikes target foreign investment in Iraq’s energy sector, particularly as the Khor Mor field has been targeted many times using drones and missiles,” he said.
asserted
he → target → drones
“There are factions that declare their loyalty to Iran and not to the Iraqi state, and this raises questions about the government’s ability to impose its authority and sovereignty over all Iraqi territory.
asserted
this → be → territory
Strategic affairs researcher Kadhim Yawer also linked the attack to regional tensions, with fears continuing that the war between the United States and Iran may escalate once again in the coming days and weeks.
uncertain
war → link → days
“The strategic purpose of targeting the Khor Mor field at this time is primarily due to external factors linked to the escalation of the conflict between Iran and the US, as well as the desire to inflict economic damage on the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in general,” Yawer said.
asserted
Yawer → target → Region
He said that the dispute over disarming militias, combined with worsening divisions between the KDP and the PUK, could add to the economic pressure on the region.
uncertain
dispute → say → region
That comes at a time when, according to Yawer, the field’s importance could grow as the KRG seeks to expand gas production and potentially reach new markets.
uncertain
KRG → come → markets
Yawer argued that the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq had created additional security challenges, particularly as some political forces – including parliamentarians – continue to not support the full disarmament of militias, allowing them more freedom to operate.
asserted
forces → argue → freedom
Internal disputes raise fears of wider conflict
Political researcher Ghanem al-Abed pointed to the timing of the attack, which came as the political dispute between the KDP and the PUK intensified and Baghdad faced resistance from armed groups over its disarmament plans.
asserted
Baghdad → raise → plans
“The notable point about the timing of the targeting of the Khor Mor field is that it coincides with political disagreements between the KDP and the PUK, as well as the escalating disagreements between the Iraqi prime minister and some armed factions over handing their weapons to the state,” he said.
asserted
he → coincide → state
The Reuters news agency has reported that the attack originated from the Tuz Khurmatu area of Salah al-Din governorate, outside of northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region – although neither the launch location nor the perpetrators have been officially established so far.
asserted
perpetrators → report → region
Al-Abed called on the Iraqi central government to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
asserted
them → call → those
Al-Abed said the economic consequences of further attacks could extend beyond areas administered by the KRG, given the field’s role in electricity generation in the neighbouring governorates of Kirkuk and Nineveh.
uncertain
consequences → say → Kirkuk
“The Iraqi government must announce the identity of the parties seeking to destroy the country’s economy and hold them accountable,” he said.
asserted
he → announce → economy
“The situation in Iraq could explode at any moment because some armed factions are not complying with the demand to hand over their weapons to the state.
uncertain
factions → explode → state
If war breaks out again between Iran and the US, these factions may intervene in the confrontation, and Iraq could then turn into a battlefield.”
uncertain
Iraq → break → battlefield
The Aporia
