ISIS Seizes Parts of Iraq’s Largest Refinery

Jihadists from the Islamic State (ISIS) group broke into Iraq’s massive Baiji oil refinery, seized some of its facilities and are hiding among fuel storage tanks, officials said Wednesday, according to the AFP news agency.

 

ISIS has attempted repeatedly over the past 10 months to capture the refinery — the country’s largest — but security forces have managed to fight them off.

 

The group “now controls the oil (training) institute and the products and shipping department and some of the roads in the refinery,” a senior official in the state company responsible for northern refineries told AFP.

 

“The force stationed at the refinery is fighting fiercely,” the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that an operation to clear the facility will be launched in the coming hours.

 

The terrorists are reportedly hiding among full fuel tanks, and there are fears they will torch them if there is an assault.

 

An army major general said ISIS fighters had attacked from two sides and were able to penetrate several hundred meters into the facility.

 

“Security forces defending the refinery… continue to besiege (fighters) hiding in some limited locations” and among the storage tanks, the officer said.

 

Read More: ISIS Seizes Parts of Iraq’s Largest Refinery – Middle East – News – Arutz Sheva