Iraqi security thwarts attempt targeting electricity transmission towers
An electricity grid. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi security forces thwarted an attempt to target electricity transmission towers in Salah Al-Din governorate in central Iraq, where improvised explosive devices were prepared to destroy electricity towers, hours after the electricity was cut off on Saturday throughout the country because of an act of vandalism.
In 2021, Iraq suffered from a series of terrorist acts that targeted electricity lines and towers, which exacerbated the electricity problem.
The Iraqi Security Media Cell (ISMC) mentioned in a statement that security forces found 16 improvised explosive devices in Baiji district in Salah Al-Din governorate, 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of the capital Baghdad.
The incident took place a day after the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, announced a complete electricity outage because of an accidental fire at a power plant in Basra governorate in southern Iraq and an act of sabotage in Salah Al-Din governorate in northern Iraq.
An Iraqi security expert explained that some of the improvised explosive devices were found near electricity towers, and the rest were detonated, causing a power outage and damage to the electricity lines transmitting electric power.
The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity issued a statement clarifying that three electricity transmission towers collapsed after an act of sabotage took place in Salah Al-Din governorate.
Iraq witnesses daily power outages that may last up to 10 hours, but things worsen during the scorching summer when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius.
The main reason behind the frequent power outages in Iraq is the deterioration of the infrastructure, which has not been renovated for decades due to conflicts, corruption and mismanagement.