Iraqi forces and Shi'ite
militia fighters recaptured most of the country's largest oil
refinery from Islamic State militants on Thursday, security
officials said.
The report could not be independently confirmed because it
is too dangerous for journalists to enter the battle zone around
the refinery near the town of Baiji, about 190 km (120 miles)
north of Baghdad.
The refinery is a focal point in efforts to contain Islamic
State and has changed hands several times since the Sunni
Islamist militants swept through northern Iraq last year.
Islamic State controls one-third of the territory of the
country.
The Iraqi army and volunteer militia fighters, who are
mostly Shi'ite Muslims, launched an assault on Wednesday to
retake Baiji.
A spokesman for Iraq's counterterrorism forces told Reuters
that government forces and militias were in control of the vast
energy complex and eliminating pockets of resistance.
"Counterterrorism forces with volunteers are holding a tight
grip over all the gates of the refinery and its facilities,"
Sabah al-Numani said.
Iraqi federal police forces also seized most parts of the
town of Baiji, Baiji's mayor Mohammed Mahmoud told Reuters.
"I can confirm to you that our forces won the battle of the
refinery and for Baiji town. We managed to control almost all
parts of the town and now we are surrounding some Daesh snipers
entrenched in some buildings," he said.
Daesh is a derogatory Arabic acronym for Islamic State,
which is also known as ISIS or ISIL.
Islamic State insurgents suffered a major defeat in April
when Iraqi troops and Shi'ite paramilitaries routed them from
the city of Tikrit.
The insurgents struck back with gains in Baiji and the
western province of Anbar, the other major battleground in the
campaign against Islamic State.
Video footage seen by Reuters showed Hadi al-Amiri, the
leader of the Badr Brigade militia and a leading Shi'ite
politician, inside Baiji refinery unfurling a map and briefing a
group of Shiite fighters on military operations.
(Reuters)