Battle For Iraq's Oil Refinery At Baiji Can Be Seen From Space

Source: Satellite image by NASA. NYT

Battle For Iraq's Oil Refinery Can Be Seen From Space: Smoke Rises Above Vast Site As Shiites Rush To Join 'Peace Brigades' To Defend Holy Sites From ISIS -- Daily Mail

* Militants man checkpoints around refinery despite claims by Iraqi troops they were in 'complete control' of plant
* Jihadists take chemical weapons facility built by Saddam Hussein which contains a stockpile of old weapons
* Zuhair al-Nahar claims the ISIS insurgency gripping the country is 'a catastrophe of unprecedented scale'
* Spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister said the country's leaders felt 'abandoned' by the U.S., Europe and the UN
* Obama said he will not send in combat troops, but will deploy 300 'military advisers' to take 'targeted action'
* PM Nouri al-Maliki facing growing pressure to resign over claims he has alienated Iraq's Sunni minority
* Izzat Ibrahim al Dour, formerly of Saddam Hussein's inner circle, revealed to be main figure in ISIS advances
* Peace Brigades held to protect shrines in holy Shiite city of Najaf following calls from cleric Muqtatda al-Sadr

Jihadist militants surrounded Iraq's largest oil refinery today after a day of intense fighting as Peace Brigades called for by the radical Shiite cleric Muqtatda al-Sadr were held in the southern holy city of Najaf.

Dramatic satellite images emerged this evening showing the oil facility in Baiji with black smoke billowing from the site's buildings. ISIS rebels had also raised black jihadist banners around the key strategic facility in Baiji despite government forces insisting they were in 'complete control' of the plant.

The photos also show U.S.-made Humvees captured by the heavily armed militants as they manned a checkpoint near the sprawling facility. In the background, heavy black smoke rises up from the refinery.

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More News On The Battle For Iraq's Oil Refinery At Baiji

Satellite Photo Shows Smoke Billowing From Contested Iraqi Refinery -- Time
Sunni Rebels Maintain Control Of Iraq's Baiji Oil Refinery Amid Clashes With Government Forces -- IBTimes
ISIS militants parade through Baiji -- Washington Post
Iraqi government agree’s brief truce with ISIL in Baiji to allow for evacuation -- Euronews
Despite reports of jihadi flag at Baiji oil refinery, unclear who has control -- UPI

My Comment: Reports from western outlets are conceding that ISSI now controls the territory that surrounds the Baiji refinery complex. As to who controls the complex .... the answer is still unclear. But if these satellite images are any indication .... a good part of the complex is now on fire, and the damage has already been done.

On a side note .... the Baiji refinery complex refines much of Iraq's fuel .... and it's shut down is starting to have an impact throughout the country .... ISIS Attack On Baiji Refinery Threatens Kurdish Power, Drives Up Fuel Prices (IBTimes)