New drone attacks hit three oil fields in northern Iraq: Kurdish forces

ARBIL, Iraq: Explosive-laden drones hit three oil fields in Iraq’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region early Wednesday, Kurdish forces said, a day after a similar attack shut operations at a US-run field.

In the past few weeks, Iraq and particularly the Kurdistan region have seen a spate of unclaimed drone and rocket attacks.

Wednesday’s attacks have raised the number of oil field hit in Kurdistan to five within a week.

“At 06:00 and 06:15 (0300 and 0315 GMT) two explosive-laden drones attacked” the Peshkabir oil field operated by the Norwegian oil group DNO in Zakho district, Kurdistan’s counterterrorism services said.

At 7:00 am (0400 GMT) a similar drone struck the DNO-operated Tawke field in the same area, Kurdistan’s counterterrorism services said.

The attacks caused only material damage.

Another attack at 7:14 am (0414 GMT) targeted an oil field operated by the US firm Hunt Oil in Dohuk province, without causing casualties or material damage.

Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently experiences such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles between Iran and the United States and its ally Israel.

The attacks also come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Arbil over oil exports, with a major pipeline through Turkey shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical issues.

Wednesday’s attacks came a day after an explosive-laden drone strike forced the US firm HKN Energy to suspend operations in the Sarsang oil field in Duhok.

On Monday, one drone was shot down near Arbil airport, while two others hit the Khurmala oil field in the same province, causing material damage.

Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a relative oasis of stability in a volatile Iraq, attracting foreign investors due to its close ties with the United States and European countries.