Iraq's army said that 45 electricity pylons have been targeted by "terrorist groups" in recent months creating “security concerns” as the country’s power grids hang by a thread amid a scorching heatwave.
On Friday, a major power line failure led to a power cut that angered millions of Iraqis as the government struggles to deal with stretched public services and dilapidated infrastructure.
Four southern provinces have been without electricity since June 29, including Basra, home to Iraq's main port, and rising temperatures are compounded by high levels of humidity.
“Nearly 45 transmission lines have been targeted by terrorists in the past few days, which have been repaired,” the representative of Iraq’s Joint Operation Command Maj Gen Tahsin Al Khafaji told state media.
Gen Al Khafaji blamed ISIS militant group and said it was seeking to create panic throughout the country by targeting power lines during summer.
A joint operation between security forces and the electricity ministry was formed to discuss ways to tackle the widespread power cuts, involving members of the army, police and the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Units, Gen Al Khafaji said.
This comes as an electrical plant that feeds power to a water supply line into Karkh neighbourhood in Baghdad was blown up on Monday, the electricity ministry said, leaving thousands of people without electricity and water.
“This is a terrorist act and a direct target aiming to cut off drinking water to citizens,” the ministry said.
“Armed violence continues to negatively impact the infrastructure of the electricity sector and expose it to great losses by depriving citizens of energy and isolating regions and governorates from each other by blowing up power transmission lines and towers."
More than 60 transmission lines were damaged and seven staff members were killed and 11 injured in the attacks on the electricity networks, the ministry said.
Two electricity transmission lines near Mosul and Kirkuk in the north were destroyed and two electricity towers between the cities of Haditha and Al Qaim in Anbar, western Iraq, were blown up.
The attack resulted in a complete power cut in two districts in Anbar.
A 400-kilovolt line from Kirkuk to Qayara was sabotaged, as was a 132kV line in Salahaddin.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi set up a crisis committee to tackle the comprehensive power cuts and set out “emergency steps to increase the hours of electricity”.
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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