Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Officials: ISIS 'Blows Up' Iraq Oil Wells, Kills Policeman

Flames and smoke rise from oil wells inside the Khabbaz oilfield after they were bombed on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Dec 9, 2020. Reuters

Militants on Wednesday killed a policeman before blowing up two oil wells in Kirkuk, a northern province claimed by both Iraq's federal government and the Kurds, officials said.

A security official told AFP that "ISIS assailants" killed a policeman and "wounded two others."

The attackers then "blew up wells 177 and 183 at the Bay Hassan field," the oil ministry said in a statement.

The first fire was "brought under control in record time", but "firemen are still active at the second" well several hours after the attack, the ministry added.

Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces took control of Kirkuk, home to key oilfields including Bay Hassan, in June 2014 after federal forces withdrew in the face of an ISIS offensive.

In late 2017, Baghdad officially claimed victory against ISIS, after a grinding military campaign supported by a US-led coalition.

But the Kurds -- who run an autonomous government in Erbil -- and the federal government dispute ownership of Kirkuk's lucrative oilfields.

ISIS maintains an ability to perpetrate attacks, operating mainly at night and often exploiting the discord between Baghdad and Erbil.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.