VIDEO: Peshmerga repel IS attacks on oil, gas fields

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Sunday, Kurdish Peshmerga forces repelled Islamic State (IS) attacks on oil and gas fields located in the northwest of Kirkuk Province, Kurdistan Region.

At 4:00 in the morning, IS insurgents had attacked a gas company in Bajwan village, northwest of Kirkuk, which runs under the Iraqi North Oil Company.

Peshmerga and security in the area repelled the attack and killed several jihadists, Hunar Ahmad, a Kurdistan24 reporter in Kirkuk, revealed.

“The jihadists entered the gas field via motorbikes,” Ahmad said. “The security at the gas field had been under the control of the Iraqi federal police.”

Three Turkmen and an Arab employee were “martyred” by IS inside the company, Kamal Kirkuki, a Peshmerga Commander responsible for the western front of Kirkuk, told Kurdistan24.

[Gas field in Bajwan village, northwestern Kirkuk, attacked by IS insurgents. (Photo: Kurdistan24)]

Peshmerga forces freed several other employees trapped inside the building, Kirkuki added.

“The police forces protecting the gas company were informed a few days ago about a possible attack on the company as some jihadists had sneaked into the area,” said a security source.

Moreover, Sarhad Qadir, a Kirkuk Suburban Police Chief, told Kurdistan24 that IS insurgents had escaped and wired improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the gas field.

“They had even wired IEDs with dead bodies inside the company to target the Kurdish security forces,” Qadir said.

Additionally, IS conducted the second attack on Bai Hassan oil field in northwestern Kirkuk. The attack began at 7:00 a.m. and lasted three hours.

“[An IS] suicide bomber entered the oil field, and he was throwing grenades at Peshmerga forces,” a Peshmerga soldier said.

“He had no combat ability, he only threw grenades and then detonated himself,” the Peshmerga added.

[Bai Hassan oil field damaged by IS attack, northwestern Kirkuk. (Photo: Kurdistan24)]

During the attack, only three Peshmerga soldiers were wounded.

Hemin Dallo, another Kurdistan24 reporter in Kirkuk, stated that Peshmerga had arrested five IS members who participated in the attack, and over four more jihadists had been killed.

[One of the detained IS members by the Kurdish Peshmerga and security forces in northwestern Kirkuk following IS’ attack on a gas field. (Photo: Kurdistan24)]

“IS has been weakened and obliged to change its fighting tactics by targeting oil and gas companies on the Kirkuk border,” said Sheikh Umed, another Peshmerga Commander in Kirkuk.

Umed complained about the Arab villagers in the area, stating that “they often stab Peshmerga in the back.” He believes that many of the villagers in the area are the family of IS members.

“We are investigating all those villages in the area and will bring those to justice who helped IS enter the village,” Umed added.

Bai Hassan oil field is estimated to contain over two billion barrels of oil reserves that are currently under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Security forces extinguished a fire on a pipeline at Bai Hassan due to the detonation of an IED planted by IS.

“We are in control of the area’s security. Nothing will change the fate of IS, which is the demise of the group,” Hussein Yazdan-Panah, a Peshmerga commander in the west of Kirkuk, told Kurdistan24.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Additional reporting by Hunar Ahmad, Hemin Dallo, and Soran Kamaran from Kirkuk)