Terrorists suspected to be members of Islamic State have on Wednesday set two wells in a small oilfield in northern Iraq on fire report says.
The terrorist attack was said to have been carried out using explosives but overall production from the field was not affected, the Oil Ministry and officials said Wednesday.
The ministry statement said that a fire erupted at the two oil wells after explosive devices were set off half an hour apart, with one going off at 1:30 a.m. (1030 GMT) and the second at 2:00 a.m (1100 GMT). The Oil Ministry gave no details about the assailants behind the explosive devices that targeted the wells in Khabbaz oilfield, 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Kirkuk.
However, the Islamic State in a statement issued through its official channel on Telegram, claimed responsibility for the attack, though it did not provide any evidence to back up its claim. According to two sources from the state-run North Oil Company (NOC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, the company’s Technical teams isolated the two burning oil wells and there was no impact on output. The field produces about 25,000 barrels per day, oil officials said.
The ministry said production from the two wells that were targeted did not exceed 2,000 bpd.
This is the second time terrorists are attacking oil facilities in Iraq signaling a possible return to era of terror in Iraq after the decimation of the dreaded members of ISIS in Iraq by President Donald Trump’s administration.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK