Police sources and witnesses was quoted by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency as saying that the move follows the attack by the Islamic State (IS) militants on the Baiji refinery on Saturday and Sunday.
"The Iraqi security forces, in charge of guarding the refinery, were able to thwart the attack that started last night," an official told Haaretz on Sunday on condition of anonymity.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) cited an official as saying that armored vehicles and suicide bombings were used by the groups in an effort to seize the Baiji refinery over the past few months. This refinery produces about a third of the country’s oil output.
In order to support Iraqi and Kurdish troops against the rebels, the US has conducted more than 90 air strikes.
Currently, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is discussing about the growing potential threat by IS, including on the oil refineries in the country.
Large parts of northern Iraq and Syria, including oil-producing areas, have already been seized by the IS militants, BBC News reported.
Image: Iraq is a major oil producer. Photo: courtesy of Victor Habbick/Freedigitalphotos.net.
