Six missile attacks set ablaze key oil refinery in Iraq's autonomous north Kurdistan

At least six rockets were fired at an oil refinery in Iraq's autonomous north Kurdistan causing "minor damage." According to Kurdish counter-terrorism forces, the projectiles targetting the Kawergosk, a key oil refinery in northwest Kurdistan, splashed near the Zab river in the Khabat district. A part of the rockets hit a part of the refinery resulting in "minor material damage" due to fire that broke out at the site, Sharjah 24 reported.

However, the blaze was "quickly contained" and no casualties were reported from the said unprecedented strike, authorities told local media. While there were no immediate claims of the strike, counter-terrorism authorities said that the missiles were fired from Bartella town in Nineveh province, which was once a stronghold of Islamic State jihadists before the Baghdad government recaptured the territory from IS in 2017.

The attacks come weeks after three missiles targetted an oil refinery in Erbil, Al Arabiya news reported. According to reports, the refinery was owned by Kurdish businessman Baz Krim Barzanji, CEO of a major domestic energy company. This came in less than two months after Iran Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for a salvo of ballistic missiles fired on Erbil city, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq on March 13. The attacks were targeted at Israeli assets in the "strategic centre" near US consulate, TRT World had reported. 

Iranian military claims responsibility for missile attack on Iraq

According to experts, an attack on Iraq carried out by Iran's Shia militia proxy groups is not an uncommon scenario but IRGC claiming responsibility is surprising as it brings Tehran close to direct conflict with the US as Washington has labelled IRGC as a terrorist outfit. The missile attack was understood to be a retaliation against the barrage of strikes launched on Syria by Israel that killed two IRGC personnel earlier in March.

The elite forces in a statement had claimed that the strikes were targetted Israeli "strategic centres" in Iraq. The outfit also warned Tel Aviv that "repetition of attacks" would be met with a "harsh and destructive response." The US State Department had condemned the "outrageous attack" and confirmed that no Americans were injured in the said strike. The series of attacks and escalated violence comes amid attempts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, which has reached a complete standstill.

Iran nuclear deal at standstill over terrorist charge

The JCPOA, a pact between P5+1 countries - China, France Russia, the US, and the UK- being held in Vienna reached a roughly 27-page draft agreement. However, the deal has been at an impasse over the final point over the status and power of the IRGC, Politico reported. The Iranian military was placed on the "Foreign Terrorist Organization" list by the US under ex-US President Donald Trump's era after pulling out from the negotiations over the JCPOA and reimposing sanctions. Especially amid the threat from the IRGC to the Americans, Washington will not remove the label, an official told the publication. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is expected to hold a personal meeting with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borell, a date for which has not yet been fixed. Earlier Amirabdollahian had told Borell that the US must "correct their past wrongs...to reach a strong, durable agreement."

(Image: AP)