Iraqi Army, Volunteer Forces Capture Beiji Oil Refinery
The Iraqi army and volunteer forces seized full control over Beiji oil refinery in Salahuddin province on Wednesday evening after killing ISIL’s top military commander in the region, Abu Soleiman al-Askari.
The Iraqi forces launched massive operations to win back the city of Beiji on Wednesday morning and they captured the strategic village of al-Rabee in the first hour of their operations.
The army and volunteer forces launched the Beiji Freedom Operation by approaching the city from three different directions.
The ISIL terrorists have over 80 percent of the Beiji under their control and winning back the city will pave the way for the Iraqi forces to move towards Mosul, the main ISIL stronghold in Iraq.
The Iraqi forces then entered Beiji from the Northern parts of the city and took control of its ice-making factory.
Later, they could push back the ISIL terrorists from towers 15 and 16 of the refinery and they could eventually prevail over the entire refinery less than an hour ago.
Meantime, Iraq’s counterterrorism unit announced that ISIL’s top military commander in Beiji region Abu Soleiman al-Askari has been killed in the heavy clashes with the Iraqi forces over the refinery.
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi issued the order on starting the second phase of military operation to seize back the Salahuddin province.
The Iraqi forces started operations to purge Beiji of terrorists few months ago, and later took full control of the city, its refinery and its surrounding areas.
But in early September reports said that the Takfiri terrorists took back some parts of Beiji after two weeks of heavy attacks on the region.
In March, the Iraqi army and volunteer forces took full control of Tikrit, capital of Salahuddin.
The ISIL terrorists are still present in the city of Mosul in Nineveh province and the city of Ramadi in Anbar province as fierce battles are still underway to seize back the cities.
Iraqi air raids kill scores of ISIL terrorists
Iraqi warplanes bombed ISIL positions in the province of Anbar on Wednesday, killing at least 37 terrorists.
Iraqi airstrikes hit ISIL positions in AlbuShajal region, which lies East of Anbar’s provincial capital city of Ramadi, killing 25 terrorists and injuring 30 others.
Nine vehicles used by ISIL extremists, who were heading toward the city of Fallujah, located roughly 69 kilometers (43 miles) West of the capital, Baghdad, were destroyed in the airstrikes.
Iraqi fighter jets also pounded ISIL concentration centers in AlbuShajal region, killing 12 militants and wounding 10 others.
Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces have gained ground in the town of AlbuFaraj, located more than 120 kilometers (74 miles) West of Baghdad on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, fighters from the pro-government Popular Mobilization units fired a barrage of missiles at ISIL positions in an area on the outskirts of the strategic city of Baiji, located some 210 kilometers (130 miles) North of Baghdad, and destroyed the militants’ hideouts. There were no immediate reports of casualties within ISIL ranks.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists have threatened all communities, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq and Syria.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
IRNA, FNA
R.S