Iraqi government takes measures against targeting transmission towers

Shafaq News/ A member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, Naim Al-Kaoud revealed on Saturday that the Iraqi government has taken a number of measures that would protect the power transmission towers.

 Al-Kaoud, a deputy of Al-Anbar Governorate, told Shafaq News Agency, "Targeting  power transmission towers means is a target of the entire government, because the operation came with the aim of inflaming the Iraqi street against the government."

 He stressed that "the government, in turn, has taken a number of measures that would protect the towers and reveal the target group,” adding that the operations commander of any area in which   transmission towers are attacked, within their control area."

 He said, "The House of Representatives called on the prime minister to take the necessary measures to protect the towers.”

 Hundreds of Iraqis protested in different Governorates over worsening power cuts as temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of Iraq.

Power went out completely across most of the country's Governorates, residents said, in some of the worst shortages this year.

Power from Iraq's main grid suffers year-round from hours-long cuts each day, but the shortages worsen during the hot summer months when temperatures regularly reach 50 degrees and households rely on air conditioning.

Iraq's electricity minister resigned this week under pressure over the power crisis.

Reduced power supplies from Iran this month and a series of attacks on power lines by militants have compounded the electricity crisis.