SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Iraqi ministry of electricity said on Thursday 13 transmission power towers had been detonated in the past 48 hours in several provinces.
In a statement, the ministry’s general company for transmission and northern electricity said the war against towers and targeting of transmission lines had increased.
Seven transmission towers were exploded in Kirkuk province on Wednesday, the ministry’s statement read.
In Saladin, six other towers were targeted with improvised explosive devices, damaging the electricity sector of Samara and several other areas, it said.
Earlier, Esta Media Network reporter cited a security source as saying that Islamic State (ISIS) militants had blown up a power tower in the Makhmour early on Thursday.
No groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on the power towers.
But Iraqi authorities accuse ISIS militants of targeting the country’s power towers in several provinces.
The explosion of towers comes as Iraq is struggling with electricity outage in several provinces in central and south of the country.
Power from Iraq’s main grid suffers year-round from hours-long cuts each day, but the shortages worsen during the hot summer months when temperatures regularly reach 50 degrees and households rely on air conditioning.
