Islamic State fighters kill five locals in attack near Baiji oil refinery

Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) – At least five people were killed last night in an attack by the Islamic State group on a village near Iraq’s largest oil refinery Baiji in Salahuddin province, an Iraqi security source said on Saturday.

“A group of Islamic State militants launched an attack on Alb Jrara village near Baiji oil refinery late Friday, promoting locals to carry weapons in an attempt to repel the attack,” the source told Kurdistan 24.

The source said that the clashes between the two sides left “five people dead and one person injured,” adding that among those killed in the attack are four brothers belonging to two families.

“IS militants used heavy and medium weapons in the attack before fleeing the scene into an unknown location,” according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.

Despite their defeat in December, Islamic State militants continue to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.