SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: A drone attack killed four Yemeni workers at an Emirati-owned gas complex in Iraq’s northern autonomous region of Kurdistan, an official said on Friday.
“Four Yemeni workers were killed and the field was severely damaged” which will cause “power shortages”, spokesperson for Kurdistan regional government, Peshawa Hawramani said.
He urged the federal government in Baghdad to find the culprits.
Friday’s drone strike which targeted a fuel storage tank was the first deadly attack on the Khor Mor complex owned by the United Arab Emirates firm Dana Gas though it had been hit several times in recent years.
Hawramani said the attack will cause “power shortages” and added these repeated attacks must stop.
The country’s security forces said they formed an investigative committee to probe into the attack, vowing that the “aggressors” will be dealt with.
The local electricity authorities said the attack disrupted gas supply to the power plants in the region, resulting in the loss of 2500 megawatts of electricity.
A statement said efforts were underway to repair the damage and restore the gas supply. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the strike.
Kurdish authorities condemned the strike and called on the federal government to find ways to prevent such attacks in future.
regional president Nechirvan Barzani said these attacks threaten the peace and stability of the country, urging the federal authorities in Baghdad to “do their duty to stop these attacks, find the perpetrators whatever their affiliation, and punish them.”
The gas field that came under attack lies between the cities of Sulaimaniyah and Kirkuk. Sulaimaniyah region is administered by Kurdish authorities.
The same complex came under attack several times in recent years without causing significant damage.
Kurdish officials have previously blamed the attacks on pro-Iran groups.
