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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi prime minister’s spokesperson on Tuesday vowed to identify perpetrators of the attack on Khor Mor - the Kurdistan Region’s largest gas field - and refer them to the judiciary, adding that the investigation intended to establish whether the latest attack was connected to preceding incidents. He also disclosed Iraq’s planned air defense deployment to “more than 50 locations,” including sites in the Kurdistan Region.
“If the party and the launch areas are identified, it may be possible to link it to previous attacks,” Sabah al-Numan told Rudaw's Rebwar Ali, adding that the committee was authorized to summon those suspected of involvement.
Numan described the strike on Sunday as a “criminal assault” aimed at “undermining the Kurdistan Region's unity and obstructing public order.”
“This incident affected Iraq, not only the Kurdistan Region,” he said, describing the Region as an important part of Iraq whose stability and security must be protected.
Sunday's attack on Khor Mor struck a gas storage unit at the field in Chamchamal district, west of Sulaimani, triggering a major fire and forcing the suspension of production, according to Rudaw's reporting on the ground.
Khor Mor is the Kurdistan Region’s primary gas field and is responsible for a majority of the Region’s cooking gas and power needs. The attack has renewed concerns over the security of energy infrastructure as the Region grapples with power outages and mounting fuel costs in the past several months.
The remarks came a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered the formation of an investigative committee into the attack on the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region.
The committee has visited the attack site and questioned security commanders, personnel and technical staff. Its members include forensic specialists and experts in missiles and drones tasked with determining the aircraft's flight path and launch location, according to Numan.
The strike ended an almost four-month lull in attacks on the strategic field. A KRG official told Rudaw in late July that Khor Mor had been targeted 12 times, killing three personnel.
The latest incident comes amid concerns over the Kurdistan Region's vulnerability following the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS's departure on September 30 as KRG officials have repeatedly called on Baghdad to provide security guarantees and prevent further attacks on the Region's critical infrastructure.
Numan stated on Tuesday that Iraq had decided on “more than 50 locations” for deploying air defense systems, including sites in the Kurdistan Region, and that air defense and armament were “an important part” of Zaidi’s talks with US President Donald Trump and the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Baghdad has signed contracts with the US, Turkey, and South Korea, with the first system expected to arrive “within months,” Numan told Rudaw’s Nalin Hassan earlier in October, noting that the plan would cover all Iraqi airspace, including the Kurdistan Region.
Sinjar units
Numan also said the Iraqi government had integrated the Sinjar units into the country's security institutions, describing it as an important achievement. “A few days ago, we had an important achievement in Sinjar, integrating the Sinjar units into the security institutions and closing that file,” he said.
The integration follows years of security disputes in Sinjar, where the presence of competing armed groups has complicated efforts to implement the 2020 Sinjar Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil, which aimed to reorganize security forces and restore stability in the Yazidi-majority district.
Handing over the Bashiqa base
On relations with Turkey, he said Turkish forces would begin handing over the Bashiqa base to Iraqi security forces at the end of November, with the process expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
“Turkish forces will begin handing over the Bashiqa base at the end of this month, continuing until the end of this year,” he said.
The Bashiqa-Zilkan military base was established by Turkey in Nineveh province in 2015 following the ISIS offensive.
Its presence has long strained relations between Baghdad and Ankara, with Iraq accusing Turkey of violating its sovereignty. The two countries agreed in September 2026 to arrange its gradual handover to Iraqi forces.
