ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday launched a probe into the drone attack on the key Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province with support of the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), amid a wave of statements from foreign missions in Erbil and Baghdad condemning the incident.

Late Wednesday, the Khor Mor Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage was targeted by drones. The field was also targeted earlier on Monday but the drones were shot down by security forces. The most recent attack was the most damaging, cutting electricity production in the Kurdistan Region by around 80 percent, according to the Region’s electricity ministry.

Sudani strongly condemned the strike as “an attack on all of Iraq” on Thursday during a phone call with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

The Iraqi premier later chaired an emergency meeting attended by Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari, Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi, and the heads of the security agencies, “to assess the repercussions of this cowardly act.”

“At a time when Iraq is heading towards safety and assuming its true role on both the regional and international levels, terrorist groups are attempting to undermine the country's stability by carrying out a criminal attack on the Khor Mor field,” read a statement from Sudani’s office.

During the meeting, Sudani directed the formation of an investigative committee headed by the two ministers which also includes intelligence chief Hamid al-Shatri and Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Interior Minister Reber Ahmed.

The global anti-ISIS coalition will support the investigation, according to the statement, marking the first time the coalition is involved in such a case.

The New Region understands that a high-level Iraqi security delegation is en route to the Kurdistan Region to monitor investigations into the attack and meet Kurdish security officials.

“The usual terrorists or whoever may be behind tonight’s attacks cannot be allowed to repeat these crimes or be released on bail, as in the past,” Prime Minister Barzani stressed, urging Baghdad to “find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

International condemnations

Diplomats and foreign missions in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region released condemnatory statements on Thursday, stressing the need for the perpetrators of the attack to be held accountable.

US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya condemned the attack in a statement, saying Baghdad must bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Every illegal armed group and supporter will be tracked, confronted, and held accountable,” Savaya said.

In a phone call with Prime Minister Barzani, Joshua Harris, charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Baghdad, stressed Washington’s support for Erbil's defense capabilities, and called for the Khor Mor attackers to be held accountable.

The European Union diplomatic mission to Iraq also said it is “very concerned” by the attack and expressed its support for Erbil. “We reiterate our commitment to continue to cooperate closely with the Iraqi federal Government and the KRG towards security, stability, and reforms.”

The UK joined the choir in condemning the attack. “Attacks on critical infrastructure threaten Iraq’s stability and the safety of its people,” the British Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate General in Erbil said in a statement.

Lukas Gjuric, the new Consul General of the Czech Republic to the Kurdistan Region, also “strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Kurdistan Region’s energy infrastructure and economy,” during a meeting with Prime Minister Barzani, according to a statement by the latter’s office. 

The Kurdistan Region’s natural resources and electricity ministries said the field was targeted by a drone strike, with power supply across the Region slashed by 80 percent and electricity production down to 1,000 MW from 4,000 MW.

An electricity ministry source told The New Region on Thursday that a meeting between both ministries was held to assess the damage caused by the attack and “resume gas production as soon as possible.” 

The attack also disrupted power delivery to the provinces of Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Salahaddin, Iraq’s electricity ministry told The New Region on Thursday.

The Khor Mor field is the main producer of the Kurdistan Region’s electricity, with natural gas reserves of around 1.8 trillion cubic feet. It is operated by Dana Gas, which, alongside affiliate Crescent Petroleum, agreed to a deal with the KRG in 2007 to develop the Region’s gas capacities.