One killed in riot' in Iraq's Erbil after attack on Khor Mor gas field

"A group of rioters have opened fire at fuel tanker trucks in the northern Iraqi governorate of Erbil, killing at least one person and wounding several others, Kurdish authorities said, days after a rocket attack on the region's Khor Mor gas field. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency late on Saturday, the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) linked the shooting to the Khor Mor attack."

"The rocket attack hit a storage tank at the gas field, which is one of the region's largest facilities, late on Wednesday, leading to production shutdown and extensive power cuts. The ministry said the KRG sent liquid fuel to supply power plants following the Khor Mor attack, but that a group of rioters blocked the road used by fuel tankers and civilians in Gwer, opening fire on passersby and travellers."

"The ministry pledged action against the riots, saying we will put an end to these acts of sabotage. The ministry statement followed an earlier report by the Iraqi News Agency in which it said there had been armed clashes between the Harkiya tribe and security forces in Erbil, near the village of Lajan on the Erbil-Gwer road. The agency cited security forces as saying that the clashes, adjacent to the Lanaz Company refinery, had resulted in fatalities and injuries."

A rocket struck a storage tank at the Khor Mor gas field, a major regional facility, causing production to halt and triggering widespread power cuts. The KRG dispatched liquid fuel to supply power plants, but a group of rioters blocked the Gwer road used by fuel tankers and opened fire on passersby and travelers, killing one and wounding several. The Ministry of Interior linked the shooting to the Khor Mor attack and vowed to end acts of sabotage. Armed clashes were reported between the Harkiya tribe and security forces near Lajan beside the Lanaz refinery, causing casualties. The KRG agreed with the field operator to restart production within hours to restore electricity.

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