Latest news with #DirectorateGeneralofCounterTerrorism
Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq launches probe into Wasit mall fire that killed 63 Iraq holds nationwide mourning after mall blaze kills 61 At least 50 killed, dozens missing in Iraq shopping mall fire Iraqi PM inaugurates Mosul airport on anniversary of city's liberation from ISIS A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The British Embassy in Baghdad on Friday condemned a recent wave of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region, including strikes that targeted key energy infrastructure, as tensions between Erbil and Baghdad appear to ease following a new financial agreement. 'The UK condemns the recent drone attacks across Iraq, including those this week targeting energy infrastructure in the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq],' the British Embassy said in a statement. 'These attacks threaten civilians' safety, damage Iraq's economy and undermine Iraq's stability.' The embassy urged the Iraqi government to prevent further attacks and hold those responsible to account. In the month of July, there have been at least 19 drone attacks on locations in the Kurdistan Region. Most recently, on Thursday, two explosive-laden drones crashed in Erbil's outskirts, according to the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD). On Wednesday, the CTD reported drone strikes on two oil fields in northern Duhok province. One hit Norwegian energy company DNO's Tawke oil field, prompting the company to temporarily suspend operations. Gulf Keystone Petroleum, which operates the Shekhan field in southern Duhok, also halted operations as a precautionary measure. A day earlier, a drone targeted the Sarsang oil field northwest of Duhok city, operated by US-based HKN Energy. The company suspended activity pending a security review and full damage assessment. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed the attacks on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a charge Baghdad has denied. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to the 'spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll.' The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Drone Attacks On Northern Iraqi Oil Field On The Rise Amid Iran Tensions
On Monday an explosive-laden drone sought to target vital infrastructure in northern Iraq, in an area known to host final remnants of US troops and officials. The US has long been most closely involved with Iraqi Kurdistan. The drone carrying explosives was intercepted and brought down early Monday near Erbil International Airport in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, local officials said. A later, separate nighttime (Monday) attack targeted a key oil field in the region. The region's Directorate General of Counter Terrorism stated that the drone targeting the airport was shot down at 2:20 a.m. local time (2320 GMT on Sunday). While no casualties or property damage resulted, and no group has taken responsibility for the incident so far, it suggests the possibility that Iran-allied Shia paramilitaries could be ready to cause havoc, following the 12-day Israel-Iran war last June, which the US also became involved in through bombing three nuclear facilities. Iraq has seen a rise in drone-related attacks in recent weeks – with for example earlier this month security forces having shot down another explosive drone near Erbil Airport. And recently similar device was intercepted near a Kurdish Peshmerga base in Kirkuk province. This brings up the possibility of anti-Kurdish factions, or even the possibility of remnant ISIS cells. In the night hours of Monday, there are new reports of yet another drone attack in the region, and this time unverified videos suggest that damage has been done (unconfirmed): According to Rudaw English, a Kurdish regional outlet: Two explosive-laden drones target the Khurmala oil field in Erbil province, resulting in no casualties – citing Kurdish counterterrorism units. The oil field lies southwest of Erbil, and reports suggest they were intercepted by US-led coalition forces on Monday night. The area lies about 60 kilometers from Erbil city.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
KRG ministry condemns drone strikes on Duhok oil fields as operations halt
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's natural resources ministry on Wednesday condemned a series of "terrorist" drone attacks targeting oil fields in the northern Duhok province, stating that the assaults aim to cripple the Region's economic infrastructure. In a statement, the ministry said that 'several terrorist attacks were carried out via bombing drones against the oil fields of Tawke and Peshkhabour' in the Zakho Independent Administration, as well as the Ain Safni oil field in the Sheikhan district. While the attacks resulted in no casualties, the ministry confirmed they caused "significant damage" to the infrastructure. The ministry called on 'the [Iraqi] federal government and the international community to act swiftly to protect the lives of civilian employees and energy security, and to prevent further attacks on Kurdistan's energy sector." Earlier Wednesday, the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, reported that between 6:00 and 6:15 am local time, the oil field in Peshkhabour was 'targeted by two explosive-laden drones,' followed by a third drone strike at 7:00 am on the Tawke field. The oil fields are operated by Norwegian oil and gas operator DNO Asa. The company confirmed the attacks in a Wednesday statement, adding that its operations at oil fields 'have been temporarily suspended following three explosions early this morning, one involving a small storage tank' in Tawke, and 'the other involving surface processing equipment' at Peshkhabour. Although no injuries were reported, DNO Asa said a damage assessment is ongoing and production will resume once it is complete. For its part, Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP), the operator of the Sheikhan oil field, said it had "noted reports over the past two days of explosions at a number of oil fields in the vicinity" and, as a precaution, had temporarily shut in production and implemented staff safety measures. The company noted its assets had not been directly impacted but added it is 'closely monitoring the situation.' Wednesday marked the third consecutive day of drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. On Tuesday, a drone attack had targeted the Sarsang oil field in Duhok, operated by the US-based HKN Energy, which holds a 62 percent stake in the field. In a statement posted to its official Facebook page, HKN Energy confirmed 'an explosion occurred' at the field at around 7:00 am local time. 'All personnel have been safely accounted for, and no injuries have been reported,' the company said, adding that 'operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured and a full evaluation is completed.' A day prior, on Monday, two explosive-laden drones targeted the Khurmala oil field, southwest of Erbil. A security source, who spoke to Rudaw anonymously on Monday, said the drones were intercepted by US-led coalition forces, and that no injuries were reported. The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Tuesday strongly condemned the repeated drone attacks, urging the federal government in Baghdad to take urgent measures to prevent further attacks and bring those responsible to justice. The Iraqi presidency, premiership and parliament on the same day denounced the incidents, calling them a flagrant assault on national security and stability. Drone strikes in the Kurdistan Region have increased since the outbreak of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran that began on June 13 and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire. While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, the Region's interior ministry in early July accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of involvement - a charge dismissed by Baghdad as 'unacceptable.'
Rudaw Net
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Explosive drone crashes in Duhok camp housing Yazidis
Also in Kurdistan President Barzani, former Iraqi deputy PM discuss Baghdad-Erbil ties, regional developments Kurdish parties hold key meeting in Kirkuk as pre-election political jockeying intensifies Baghdad salary freeze hits Kurdistan's taxi drivers hard Erbil official says nobody signed up for stray dog collection offer A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An explosive-laden drone early Tuesday crashed in a camp housing displaced Yazidis in northern Duhok province, sparking a fire but no casualties, Kurdish counterterrorism forces reported. The incident at Zakho's Darkar camp, located about 36 kilometers northwest of Duhok city, occurred when an explosive-laden drone fell on the camp and 'caused material damage but no casualties,' the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, said in a statement. The camp shelters Yazidis displaced from Shingal in Nineveh province following the Islamic State's (ISIS) brutal assault in 2014. 'It is the first time our camp and subdistrict have experienced such an incident,' said Jawhar Mohammed, head of Darkar subdistrict, adding that the source of the drone remains unknown 'A large number of refugees are still here. The drone fell near the camp's school. There were no human casualties, but a fire broke out and was controlled,' he added. Zakho's civil defense told Rudaw that three cabins were burned near the school as a result of the crash. On the same day, Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha said that three Katyusha rockets struck the city overnight, with one hitting a residential house - causing no casualties - and two others landing between the civil and military sections of Kirkuk International Airport. The airport administration said that rockets hit around 11:30 pm, injuring one employee. Despite the incident, flights are expected to continue as scheduled. Gharib Majid contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Drone targets Turkish military base in Nineveh
Also in Iraq Iraq returns 27,000 antiquities to national museum: Official Iraq is among the 15 most climate-affected countries globally: PM advisor Iraq to face crisis as US ends energy waiver: Former OPEC spox Iraq's deputy finance minister resigns over Kurdistan Region's grievances A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A military base housing Turkish troops in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh was targeted by an explosive-laden drone on Tuesday night without inflicting casualties, Kurdish counter-terrorism forces reported. 'A bomb-laden drone targeted the Turkish army's Zilkan military base in Bashiqa district of Nineveh province, and there were no casualties,' the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, said in a statement. Zilkan military base has been frequently targeted in recent years, and the attacks have largely been attributed to Iran-backed Iraqi militias. The attacks, however, have simmered down over the past year. The presence of Turkish forces in the base has been widely condemned by the Iraqi government, and tensions reached a boiling point in July 2022 when a deadly shelling in the Kurdistan Region's Zakho blamed on Turkey killed nine Iraqi tourists and injured tens of others. That incident harmed diplomatic relations between the two countries, with Iraq filing a complaint against Turkey at the United Nations Security Council. Iraq has also frequently condemned Turkey for its military incursions into the Kurdistan Region under the pretext of targeting Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants based in the Region's northern mountainous regions. But Baghdad also labeled the PKK a banned organization last year, under pressure from Ankara.
