Drones attack Khurmala and Sarsang oilfields in Iraq's Kurdish region

Officials say attacks caused damage to facilities but no casualties

Smoke from gas flares in 2017 at the Havana oilfield, in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. AFP

Three drones have slammed into two oilfields in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, in the latest escalation of a shadowy campaign targeting the region's energy infrastructure.

No group has claimed responsibility. Two of the drones attacked the Khurmala oilfield on Monday night, said the Kurdistan counter-terrorism service and the Iraqi Security Media Cell, an official body responsible for disseminating security information.

The regional Ministry of Natural Resources said there were no casualties and the attack only caused damage to water pipes. It did not say whether production from Khurmala was affected. The oilfield is near the Iraqi-Kurdish city of Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

Another drone struck Sarsang oilfield oilfield in the nearby Dahuk province, Kurdistan and Baghdad security apparatus added.

Operations have been suspended as the drone hit the production facilities until the site is secured and an evaluation completed, its US-based developer HKN Energy said in a statement. "All personnel have been safely accounted for and no injuries have been reported," it added.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said the attacks pose a "direct threat to the interests of the Iraqi people and constituting as assault on the state's efforts to establish stability and advance development".

Mr Al Sudani ordered an "immediate and comprehensive" investigation to "identify the perpetrators and to take firm actions to hold them accountable without hesitation or leniency".

An investigation into the incident has been launched in co-ordination with security forces in the region, the region's authorities said.

The Kurdistan Natural Resources Ministry "strongly condemns and denounces these acts or terrorism against the Kurdistan region's vital economic infrastructure".

The US embassy in Iraq condemned the attacks, urging the Iraqi government to "investigate who is behind these attacks and hold them accountable". It said in a statement that Baghdad "must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from launching these attacks against sites within its own territory, including locations where Iraqi and international companies have invested in Iraq's future".

"These attacks are unacceptable, undermine Iraq's sovereignty and hurt Iraq's efforts to attract foreign investment," the embassy added.

Iraq has seen a spate of drone and rocket attacks in recent weeks. A drone laden with explosives was downed this month near Erbil International Airport, with the regional Interior Ministry blaming the Popular Mobilisation Forces for the attack.

In Baghdad, the federal government rejected this accusation against “an official Iraqi security institution”. The PMF is a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitary groups now integrated into Iraq's armed forces.

Erbil's airport has frequently been targeted by rocket and drone attacks in previous years. Iraq has been a battleground for such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles. The country has only recently begun to regain a measure of stability after decades of war and upheaval.

Iran and its proxies in Iraq have long accused Iraqi Kurds of hosting a Mossad espionage station in Kurdistan. They previously launched several attacks on Erbil, including ballistic missiles by Tehran.

The latest series of drone attacks come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Erbil on resuming oil exports, halted since 2023 over legal disputes, technical issues and Kurdistan's share in the federal budget.

Tension escalated in late May when Baghdad halted all budget transfers to Kurdistan, including the salaries of public employees. It said the regional government had already received more than its 12.67 percent share of the 2025 federal budget then had failed to deliver its agreed share of oil.

Meanwhile on Monday, Iraq's Oil Ministry signed a preliminary agreement with HKN Energy to develop the Hamrin oilfield in Salah Al Din province, north of Baghdad.

In a statement issued after the ceremony, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said Baghdad was looking forward to co-operating with US companies in the oil and gas fields.

Iraq aims to boost oil production from Hamrin to 60,000 barrels per day from its current output of 20,000 to 25,000 barrels per day, the ministry added. The project will also feed power plants with natural gas, it said.

The improved political and security situation in the country over the past few years has encouraged authorities to launch infrastructure projects and introduce reforms to improve the business environment. Baghdad also is looking to attract US companies to invest in a bid to improve relations with Washington.