Khor Mor gas field attack ‘unacceptable,’ says PUK leader Bafel Talabani

SULAYMANIYAH — Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, has issued a strong condemnation of the late Wednesday attack on the Khor Mor gas field, calling it “unacceptable” and promising a “decisive” response.

In a statement released Thursday on his Facebook account, Talabani characterized the assault as an attempt to damage the economic welfare of residents throughout the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, while destabilizing the country.

“The terrorist attack on the Khor Mor field is unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest terms,” Talabani said. “Its aim is to hurt the livelihood of our fellow citizens in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and undermine the stability of our country.”

The PUK president pledged a response to the security breach, emphasizing the government’s commitment to protecting its population. “Our response to this attack will be decisive and unwavering,” he stated. “We will act and deploy all necessary measures to safeguard the lives of our citizens.”

Talabani’s statement also addressed the broader issue of armed groups operating beyond government control, insisting on the state’s monopoly on legitimate force. “Arms must only be in the hands of the state,” he declared. “The militias which operate outside of the rule of law must either be disbanded or destroyed.”

The Khor Mor field, located in Sulaymaniyah, is one of the region’s most significant energy assets and plays a crucial role in the Kurdistan Region’s gas production and domestic energy supply.

Regional electricity authorities said the attack caused an estimated 80 percent collapse in power generation, with approximately 2,600 to 3,000 megawatts lost from the grid. Footage shared online showed thick black smoke rising from the site as neighborhoods across the Kurdistan Region reported outages.