Iraqi armed forces backed by volunteers have regained control of two oil fields in the northern part of the country months after ISIL (Daesh) seized the facilities.
Iraqi security sources said that the government troops backed by Shia and Sunni volunteer fighters on Monday took control of the Alas oil fields, located northeast of Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salahuddin province, Iraqi news website Nahrain Net reported.
At least 260 Daesh militants are reported to have been killed during the fierce fighting in the militancy-riddled region.
The report also cited a senior commander from popular mobilization forces as saying that the Iraqi forces also recaptured on Sunday the Ajil oil field from Daesh, located 35km (22 miles) northeast of the city of Tikrit. More than 70 extremists were killed during a series of violent clashes in the troubled region.
The commander also noted the al-Rashad and al-Riyadh areas of Kirkuk Province were being fully controlled by the Iraqi armed forces.
Daesh had seized control of both oil fields in June last year. The facilities were producing thousands of barrels per day before the attack by the militants.
It was reportedly set on fire by Daesh to provide cover from air strikes during the military operation by Iraqi forces to retake the city in mid-March.
Control of oil fields has always been a Daesh hallmark, even when its militants lack the technical expertise to operate them at full capacity.
The extremists have captured several oil fields in Iraq and neighboring Syria. They use revenues from illegal oil sales to fund their activities.
Daesh launched an offensive in Iraq in June last year and took control of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, before sweeping through parts of the country’s heartland.
The militants have committed heinous crimes and threatened all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians during their advances in Iraq.
[This story has been edited from the source material.]
