Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani warned on Thursday that those behind the attack on the Khor Mor gas field will face a “decisive and forceful” response.

In a statement, Talabani said the attack on the field in Chamchamal was “unacceptable” and aimed at disrupting the livelihoods of people in the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq.

“The PUK would take all necessary measures to protect residents…The militias which operate outside of the rule of law must either be disbanded or destroyed.”

The strike, which hit the field late Wednesday, triggered a fire and forced the shutdown of gas supplies feeding power stations across the Kurdistan Region, causing an electricity drop of nearly 80 percent in Erbil, Al-Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok. No casualties were reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest strike. However, Kurdish authorities accused the armed groups within the Popular Mobilization Forces of carrying out similar operations in 2024.

Read more: Khor Mor under fire: Renewed strikes expose Kurdistan’s fragile energy security