Iraq thwarts attempt to blow up oil well in Kirkuk

Iraqi security forces yesterday foiled an attempt to blow up an oil well in the north-western Kirkuk Governorate, Anadolu news agency reported.

A Kirkuk police captain told the news agency that the security forces defused a bomb planted near oil well “195” in Bay Hasan oilfield in the northwest of Kirkuk.

The police officer, who requested anonymity, said the explosive device had been dismantled without causing any losses.

There was no official comment from authorities or the country’s Oil Ministry about the incident.

Last Wednesday, an Iraqi policeman was killed in an armed attack against two oil wells in the Bay Hasan oilfield.

Armed attacks have increased over the past few months especially in the area between the governorates of Kirkuk, Salahdin and Diyala, known locally as the “Triangle of Death”.

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While no group claims responsibility for the attacks, it is often believed they are planned by Daesh militants.

Though the Iraqi government in Baghdad declared victory over Daesh in December 2017, sleeper cells continue to operate across the country. The attacks have raised fears that the group could regroup and recover posing a severe threat to the country once again.