Daesh close to controlling city containing largest oil refinery in Iraq

Daesh is close to taking control of the largest oil refinery in Iraq after clashes with the army in Baiji on Sunday, Anadolu has reported. The city is in the north of Salahuddin Province. "Daesh has tightened its grip on the Abu-Jra'a area which links the city and the refinery," Captain Ghazwan Al-Jubouri told the Turkish news agency.

According to Al-Jubouri, the militants wounded at least four civilians in an attack on the village of Albu Tohme. "They are now attacking Aharijah neighbourhood, in the centre of the area, and fighting continues in other districts," he added.

The Iraqi army said that the security forces have stopped an attack by Daesh militants with a number of bombed cars in Baiji. "But battles continue in the region." The army's statement did not give further details.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces are holding the Joint Operations Room responsible for allowing the militants to advance towards Baiji, claiming that the Iraqi air force "did not respond" to calls to bomb Daesh convoys coming from Mosul.

"The JOR received information about the Daesh convoys advancing from the city of Mosul to Sharqat and from there to Baiji," explained PMF official Jawad Talebawi. "The information was passed to the Joint Operations Room in Baghdad, but unfortunately the air force — whether Iraqi or coalition —did not do its job to prevent their arrival in Baiji." The journey time from Mosul to Baiji is just 2 hours, added Talebawi. "The convoys could easily have been hit and stopped in their tracks."

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