Drone strikes hit Khurmala oil field hours after Erbil airport incident

ERBIL — Two explosive-laden drones struck the Khurmala oil field southwest of Erbil on Monday night in the second aerial attack on the Kurdistan Region’s capital within 24 hours.

A source familiar with operations at the field told 964media that the drones hit a water station and filtration section, damaging pipelines. “According to preliminary information, there were two drones that carried out the strike,” the source said.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed the incident and said there were no casualties. “Only material damage was caused to the station’s water pipelines,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Directorate corroborated the timeline, stating that two drones exploded at the site at 8:20 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. on July 14. “Fortunately, no casualties occurred,” the directorate said.

The strikes came just hours after another drone exploded near Erbil International Airport at around 2:20 a.m. Monday. That device detonated near the village of Gazna, also without causing injuries or damage, according to security officials.

“We were asleep when we were startled by a loud explosion. It sounded like a missile. We saw a fireball falling from the sky near the airport,” said Akam Abdullah, a resident of the area. Video circulating on social media appeared to show flaming debris falling in the vicinity.

No group has claimed responsibility for either incident.

Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Regional Government blamed groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces for similar attacks, calling them attempts to create instability. “These attacks are carried out by groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces under the pretext of creating chaos,” the KRG said in a July 4 statement after another drone strike near the airport.

Baghdad rejected those claims. Sabah al-Numan, military spokesperson for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, called for evidence to be submitted through proper legal channels. “These public accusations only serve to provide an opportunity for those seeking to discredit the Iraqi institutions that defend and protect the nation’s security,” he said at the time.

Despite the formation of joint investigative committees, no official findings have been made public, and no parties have been held responsible.

National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji visited Erbil last week and said progress had been made. “A committee has been formed by order of Sudani to investigate the recent attacks on the Region,” he told reporters on July 10.