Baiji Refinery Under Attack

By John Lee.

Islamist militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS, ISIL) have attacked Baiji [Bayji] oil refinery (pictured), 155 miles north of Baghdad.

A security official told Associated Press that the attack on Iraq's largest refinery began late on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday, with militants targeting it with mortar shells, starting a small fire on the periphery.

The refinery accounts for more than a quarter of the country's entire refining capacity, all of which goes toward domestic consumption such as petrol and fuel for power stations, leading to fears of fuel shortages and additional power cuts.

(Source: The Guardian, Reuters)