Insurgents attack main oil refinery in Iraq

Sunni insurgents have launched Wednesday an attack on Iraq ‘s main refinery in Baiji (Saladin Province), where fighting continues against security forces stationed at the location, according to police sources and oil installation workers told reporters. The jihadi militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  have attacked the hydro plant with mortar fire about 3:00 pm  from two of the three main entrances to the complex processing crude oil. One of the projectiles reached a spare parts warehouse, from which has emerged a column of smoke.

At the moment, it is unclear who controls the refinery. A Reuters source located inside the center said that the militants have gained entry: “They are now controlling the production units, the administration building and four watchtowers This is 75 percent of the. refinery,” he says. Clashes between jihadists and Iraqi security forces continue around the control center, the same source added. Moreover, the Iraqi Army has said in press conference that has taken control of the oil complex.

Foreigners working in Baiji had been evacuated on Tuesday security forces suspected that the oil refinery was one of the objectives of insurgents.

Baiji has been under siege since the jihadists began their offensive on the north and center of the country last week, but so far had not launched a major attack. U.S. officials, who are helping the Iraqi security forces, confident that at least managed to keep Baiji out of reach of the  insurgents because it is one of the engines of the national economy.

Meanwhile, Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, delivered a speech Wednesday near the border and said Iran would make arrangements to protect the revered Shiite shrines in Iraq – Karbala, Najaf, Kadmiyah, Samarra – against Sunni militants fighting the government in Baghdad.

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Posted by Khalil Khan on Jun 19 2014. Filed under Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.