Continuous clashes in Iraqi oil city of Baiji

Clashes between ISIS on one side and the Iraqi army and the Iranian-backed People’s Militia on the side are still raging in the southern Iraqi city of Baiji, fighting for control of the city’s main oil refinery.

The fighting began on Saturday night when ISIS attacked the refinery from multiple directions. A suicide bomber blew himself up near the facility’s gate, after which ISIS ground assault teams entered the breach into the refinery complex.

However, the Iraqi army has released a statement claiming that they have taken control of the refinery after repelling “the most violent attack on the site since the siege was broken a few months ago.”

Baiji is the home of the largest Iraqi oil refinery and is inhabited predominately by Sunni Muslims. Top officials in the city told Anadolu that the clashes haves been continuous since Saturday.

Anadolu quoted the military chief of the People’s Militia in Baiji, Sheikh Rihab Al-Qaisi, as saying that his forces had already entered areas in the south of the city.

Iraqi forces have twice retaken Baiji from ISIS since last summer. Following the second battle, they made a deal with ISIS to divide power in the city.

Al-Qaisi said that the police and the People’s Militia gathered on Monday to retake the south of the city from ISIS, where clashes have been taking place.

Baiji connects Baghdad with Nineveh Province, which is still controlled by ISIS. In addition to the large oil refinery, Baiji, which lies on the bank of the river, contains several industrial facilities and agricultural farms key to the country’s economy.

The attack on the Baiji refinery came just weeks after ISIS was pushed out of the city of Tikrit.