Barzani warns region ‘cannot remain silent indefinitely’ after drone attacks

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani warned Tuesday that the region “cannot remain silent indefinitely” following days of drone and missile strikes on Erbil and surrounding areas, while pledging that the KRG’s 24-hour Runaki electricity program would be delivered despite the ongoing crisis.

Speaking at the inauguration of Majdi Private Hospital, Barzani said it was “regrettable” that the region had been struck and that “in recent days some outlawed and terrorist parties have also targeted Erbil.” He called on Baghdad to act. “We ask the federal government not to allow these terrorists and outlaws to attack Kurdistan again, because we cannot remain silent indefinitely,” he said.

“Be assured that we will make every effort to ensure that the people of Kurdistan are protected, that our Kurdistan is protected and that we remain away from all wars and unrest,” he said. “We are trying to keep Kurdistan away from these wars and tensions in the region and will continue to protect our achievements.”

On electricity, Barzani acknowledged the shortages but described them as temporary. “After this war and the tensions that have arisen and after the attacks on oil and gas fields, some companies, in order to protect their production, have reduced output, which has led to a decrease in electricity generation,” he said, reaffirming the KRG’s commitment to deliver 24-hour power to “all cities, towns and villages of Kurdistan.”

The Kurdistan Region has received only three to four hours of government electricity per day since Dana Gas suspended natural gas supplies from the Khor Mor field on Feb. 28, removing between 2,500 and 3,000 megawatts from the grid. Private generators, made redundant after the KRG’s landmark initiative to provide 24/7 grid power was launched throughout most of the Kurdistan Region, are being reactivated in coordination with authorities to ease shortages.

Drone and missile attacks have struck Erbil and Koya over four consecutive days, targeting Peshmerga positions near Degala, Erbil Air Base, the U.S. Consulate, and camps housing Iranian Kurdish opposition groups. Earlier Tuesday, three drones and a missile hit Koya district, striking Camp Azadi and a weapons storage facility belonging to the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, wounding one civilian. On Sunday, the IRGC launched drone attacks on opposition camps in the same area. Regional security agencies have reported dozens of projectiles launched toward the Kurdistan Region since Saturday, attributed to both the IRGC and Iran-aligned Iraqi factions.

Iraq’s airspace remains closed as federal and regional authorities continue to report drone interceptions targeting military sites across several governorates.