Four killed in drone attack on gas field in Iraq

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Baghdad, April 27 (IANS) Four people were killed in a drone attack on a gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region, prompting condemnation from both regional and federal authorities.

Peshawa Hawramani, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said in a statement that the strike killed four Yemeni nationals working in the field and inflicted significant damage on the infrastructure on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

He denounced the attack as a "terrorist act" committed by "saboteurs and evil people."

The targeted Khor Mor gas field, which is located in Sulaimani province, is operated by Dana Gas, a United Arab Emirates-based energy company. Hawramani underscored the severe disruption caused to electricity generation by the assault and urged the Iraqi federal government to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

A separate statement issued by the region's electricity authorities highlighted the impact of the assault on gas supplies for power plants, which led to a significant decrease of approximately 2,500 megawatts in electricity generation.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) confirmed the attack, which occurred around 7:15 p.m. local time (1615 GMT). Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, also serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi forces, instructed the JOC to establish a committee to investigate the attack.

Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region, condemned the deadly attack, which has also affected power generation. Barzani stressed the attack's threat to regional stability and called on the federal government to take action to prevent similar incidents, identify the perpetrators, and ensure legal repercussions.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but rocket or drone attacks by militias occur frequently in the Kurdistan region.

--IANS

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