Three oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan hit by drone strikes as recent spate of attacks continues
Three oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan were targeted by explosive drones on Wednesday, causing material damage without casualties.
Fresh drone strikes have struck three of Iraq's oil fields on Wednesday, in what has become a string of UAV and missile attacks across the Middle Eastern country's Kurdistan region.The Iraqi Kurdistan counter-terrorism forces said that within 15 minutes at 6 am local time (5 am CEST) on Wednesday, two explosive drones struck the oil field in Pishkhabur in the Zakho region operated by the Norwegian oil and gas company DNO.At 7 am, another explosive drone also struck an oil field in Tauke in the same area operated by DNO, according to authorities.The attacks caused no loss of life and only material damage. Iraqi authorities further said that at 7:14 am, an explosive drone struck an oil field managed by the US company Handlowy in Duhok province, with no casualties or material damage.No group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.The attacks came at a time when tensions between the capital Baghdad and the regional capital of Erbil have escalated over oil exports, while a major pipeline to Turkey has remained closed since 2023 due to legal disputes and technical issues.Drone strikes on oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan on Wednesday raised to five the number of oil fields in the region targeted over the past week.On Tuesday, an explosive drone targeted the Sarseng oil field in Dhok province, run by US company HKN Energy. The strike occurred just hours before the signing of a contract to develop another oil field by the same firm.On Monday, there were also reports of the downing of an explosive drone of unidentified origin near Erbil International Airport, which is home to US-led coalition forces. The Iraqi Kurdistan Climate Counter-Terrorism Service also said that two drones hit the Khormullah oil field on Monday evening, causing material damage.Iraqi Kurdistan, which is attempting to boost its image as a relatively stable region in the country mired by instability, is seeking to attract foreign investors due to its close ties with the US and European countries.