A drone strike set an oil field ablaze in Iraq’s Dohuk province on Tuesday, marking the latest in a string of attacks targeting vital energy infrastructure in the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
No group has claimed responsibility for the strike, which hit a production facility operated by U.S.-based HKN Energy Ltd. The attack came just hours after Iraq signed a new investment agreement with the company for the Hamrin oil field in Salahuddin province.
In a statement, HKN Energy confirmed that “an explosion occurred” at one of its facilities in the Sarang field early Tuesday morning. “All personnel have been safely accounted for, and no injuries have been reported,” the company said. However, it added that the facility remains on fire as emergency response teams work to contain the blaze. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, and operations at the site have been temporarily suspended.
The Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources later confirmed the cause of the blast as a drone strike. This follows a similar attack just a day earlier on the Khurmala oil field in Irbil province. The Ministry condemned the incident as a “terrorist act” targeting the region’s economic infrastructure and called on the federal government to act swiftly in identifying and holding those responsible to account.
“These repeated attacks are not only criminal but threaten the economic stability of the Kurdistan Region,” the statement said. “We urge Baghdad to take immediate and necessary steps to prevent further strikes.”
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad also issued a strong condemnation of the recent attacks, calling on Iraq’s central government to assert greater control and protect areas of foreign and domestic investment.
“The Government of Iraq must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory, including locations where Iraqi and international companies have invested in Iraq’s future,” the embassy stated.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani met with HKN Energy’s vice president in Baghdad on Tuesday during the signing ceremony for the Hamrin oil field agreement, highlighting the significance of continued foreign investment in Iraq’s energy sector.
Tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) have been escalating as both sides blame unnamed armed groups for the escalating violence. Earlier this month, Kurdish officials accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—an umbrella group of Iran-aligned militias under Iraqi military command—of conducting drone strikes in the region.
In response, the Iraqi army rejected the accusation, citing a lack of evidence and warning that such claims could be exploited by hostile elements seeking to destabilize the nation.
Iran-backed factions within Iraq have long targeted U.S. military installations in both Iraq and Syria. During the recent Israel-Iran conflict, some of these militias threatened to strike American interests if Washington became directly involved in the war.
As investigations continue into the recent drone attacks, concerns grow over the safety of Iraq’s oil infrastructure and the broader implications for regional stability and foreign investment.
