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Iraqi officials in the Kurdistan region say a drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field late Sunday sparked a fire and cut power to more than 70% of the region.

Getting into it: An explosive-laden drone hit the field’s gas storage unit around 11pm, halting production and cutting off the gas supply to power plants in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Duhok and other cities. Kurdish officials said the attack wiped out as much as 2.8 gigawatts of generating capacity, and that they were using hydroelectric and fuel-powered plants to keep hospitals and water treatment facilities running.

The field’s operator, UAE-based Dana Gas, said Monday the fire had been put out and no workers were hurt, but production remains suspended while damage is assessed. No group has claimed responsibility, and Kurdish authorities called it a “terrorist attack.” Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered a joint investigation with Kurdish officials.

Khor Mor feeds most of the region’s power plants and has been targeted repeatedly over the past few years, and Kurdish authorities have blamed Iran-backed militias for past attacks. Hours before the strike, a member of the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah publicly criticized al-Zaidi and referenced Khor Mor in what some viewed as a veiled threat.

This all comes as al-Zaidi, who took office in May with US backing, tries to force Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq to hand over their weapons, a deadline that has now been pushed back to at least June 2027 amid pushback from militias like Kataib Hezbollah, while the US presses Baghdad to close most of its border crossings with Iran.