Baghdad: A military delegation visited the Kurdistan Region to secure air protection for oil facilities.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the ministry stated that the visit was conducted in line with directives from the Army Chief of Staff. The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Lt. Gen. Saad Ali Ati Harbiya, led the high-level field visit on Wednesday to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The delegation included key military figures such as Ground Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Qasim Mohammed Saleh, Deputy Commander of Air Defense Maj. Gen. Hassan Nouri Farhan, the Assistant commander of Military Intelligence, along with staff officers and security officials.

The delegation was welcomed by Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, alongside political and security leaders from the region. An expanded meeting was held to discuss the security situation of vital facilities, aiming to enhance joint coordination and security integration for their protection. The visit also featured a field tour, led by the Director of Oil Fields Security, which provided a comprehensive briefing on protection plans, potential challenges, and strategies to overcome them.

The delegation assessed security measures and operational readiness at strategic oil fields in Erbil and Duhok provinces, including the Shaikhan oil field, the Khurmala field operated by the KAR Group, the Fishkhabour field, and the Khabour field. These visits aimed to evaluate requirements for air protection of vital areas and oil facilities, ensuring the effectiveness of preventive measures to safeguard economic infrastructure.

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations emphasized the necessity of maintaining coordination and cooperation between federal military institutions and relevant authorities in the Kurdistan Region. He commended ongoing efforts to secure oil fields, stressing the importance of protecting the country’s economic resources and assets to serve the national interest and support long-term stability.