BAGHDAD, Aug 9 (NNN-NINA) – Unknown gunmen, yesterday, detonated a power transmission tower in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh, the country’s Ministry of Electricity said in a statement.
The attack sabotaged the tower that links the areas east of the provincial capital, Mosul, to Mosul Dam, and led to an almost complete power outage in the province, the statement said.
Accompanied by Iraqi security forces, technical teams rushed to the scene to repair the tower, the statement added.
“It seems that the series of explosions in the transmission towers are aimed at cutting off the national power grid among the provinces, stopping the projects of the Ministry of Electricity, and depleting its capabilities,” it said.
During the past few days, several power transmission towers were bombed in the provinces of Salahudin, Kirkuk, and Nineveh, as well as, in al-Nebai and Tarmiyah areas, north of Baghdad, which led to the destruction of towers and power outages.
Iraq has been witnessing a chronic power shortage since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, as the country’s power plants generate a total of 19,000 megawatts, far less than the actual demand of over 30,000 megawatts.
Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, held meetings to discuss the attacks, and directed the army to strengthen the protection of power transmission lines.– NNN-NINA
