ISIS militants attack Iraq's largest oil refinery, north of Baghdad

Baghdad: A top security official in Iraq says Islamic militants are attacking the country’s largest oil refinery, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. The official said fighters of the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) began their attack late Monday night and it continued into Tuesday morning. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists. [caption id=“attachment_1576499” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Iraqi security forces in uniforms and plainclothes head to Baghdad in the main road between Baghdad and Mosul, a day after fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took control of much of Mosul. AP[/caption] The Beiji refinery accounts for a little more than a quarter of the country’s entire refining capacity — all of which goes toward domestic consumption for things like gasoline, cooking oil and fuel for power stations. Any lengthy outage at Beiji risks long lines at the gas pump and electricity shortages, adding to the chaos already facing Iraq. Associated Press