Alwaght- Remnants of ISIS terrorist group have carried out bomb attacks on two oil wells at an oil field close to Iraq’s northern city of Kirkuk.
Oil officials and security sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the attacks had not affected production at the Bai Hassan oil field, adding that the fires near the oil wells had been quickly controlled without causing significant damage or disrupting operations.
A statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry said one of the fires at Well 177 had been put out and emergency teams were working to halt a second at Well 183.
The militants also attacked a nearby security post during the assault, killing one policeman and wounding three others, security sources said.
According to one of the security officials, the attack on the post was meant to distract police and allow other militants to plant the bombs.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s al-Sumaria television, citing security sources, reported on Wednesday that oil production at the two oil wells had been halted due to the bomb attacks.
The country’s Oil Ministry confirmed that Well 177 and Well 183 at the Bai Hassan oil field had been blown up, adding that a number of security forces had been killed and wounded in the attacks, without offering the number of casualties.
The last attack on Bai Hassan oilfield claimed by Daesh occurred on April 17, when the terrorists used explosives to attack two oil wells without causing significant damage.
Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, initially overrunning vast swathes of territory.
But the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), or Hashd al-Sha’abi, helped the army retake all of those territories.
Iraq declared victory over Daesh in December 2017 after a three-year counter-terrorism military campaign, which also had the support of neighboring Iran.
The terror outfit’s remnants, though, stage sporadic attacks across Iraq.
