ISIS begins selling crude oil from Iraq's Ajeel oil field

The organisation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) began yesterday evening selling crude oil extracted from the Ajeel oil field and exporting it through the Kurdish region to local refineries or across the Iranian border, a senior Iraqi official said yesterday.

The mayor of Tuz Khurmatu, Shallal Abdul Baban, said in a statement: “This evening, ISIS began shipping 100 tanks loaded with crude oil extracted from the Ajeel oil field which the organisation took control of last month. ISIS sells the crude oil at a price ranging between $12-14,000 per tank to finance their operations.”

Abdul Baban said: “People who buy the oil use paved roads controlled by ISIS militants and take it through the cities of Kifri or Qadir Karam to civil refineries or across the Iranian border or they go through the city of Makhmour to the Kurdistan region in coordination with the checkpoints.”

He said: “Despite the challenges faced by city of Tuz Khurmatu and the terrorists’ attempts to control it, I decided today to resign because I cannot give anything to the people of my judiciary or even pay their salaries. I have been unable to restructure the police and I do not receive any support from the Kurdistan Regional Government or the federal government. I cannot even provide the salaries of cleaning personnels. Life is paralyzed in Tuz Khurmatu.”