ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region’s Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, on Thursday condemned the attack on the Khor Mor field in the Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, calling it a “major terrorist crime” by outlaw groups.
In a statement, Talabani, also a senior member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - the dominant party in Sulaimani - denounced the assault, saying it “targets the daily lives and livelihoods of the people, as well as the economic infrastructure of Kurdistan and all of Iraq.”
He warned of the impact that “the recurrence of such attacks [has] on Kurdistan's economic infrastructure,” adding that they “represent a dangerous escalation and require practical action.”
Located in Sulaimani's Chamchamal district, Khor Mor gas field is operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum.
The field came under a drone attack late Wednesday, causing a blaze which is yet to be controlled. The attack has also caused a partial blackout across the Kurdistan Region.
Dana Gas reported Thursday that production at the facility has been suspended after the site “was struck by a rocket attack” late Wednesday, confirming that “no injuries to personnel were recorded.”
Talabani emphasized that “it is the duty of the Federal Government to swiftly reveal the perpetrators and those behind this attack to the public, and to subject them to punishment and legal accountability.”
The Kurdistan Region’s Deputy Premier cautioned that continued attacks by “groups and forces operating outside the state” are “no longer acceptable and lead to political and security instability.”
“Therefore, a primary step for the future government of Iraq must be to end this situation and to punish and rein in armed groups operating outside state control,” he concluded.
Later in the day, PUK leader Bafel Talabani issued a sharply worded statement slamming “the terrorist attack” on the Khor Mor field as “unacceptable,” condemning it “in the strongest terms,” and noting that it “aims to hurt the livelihood of our fellow citizens in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, and to undermine the stability of our country.”
He further underlined, “Our response to this attack will be decisive and unwavering,” adding, “We will act and deploy all necessary measures to safeguard the lives of our citizens.”
Talabani stressed that “arms must only be in the hands of the state,” and that “militias operating outside the rule of law must either be disbanded or destroyed.”
Similarly, Kurdistan Region Vice President Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, also a senior member of the PUK, condemned the “cowardly and terrorist” attack, saying it aims to “weaken the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region in particular, and Iraq in general.”
He further urged partners from the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) to provide the Kurdistan Region with “defense systems against such terrorist attacks.”
Last updated at 1:45 pm