Baiji

Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State jihadist group on separate fronts today, ramping up operations to retake Baiji and Ramadi, two of the conflict's worst flashpoints.

Islamic State fighters have regained territory in the contested city of Baiji, home to Iraq's largest oil refinery, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the battle over the northern town of Baiji and its refinery - Iraq's largest - was critical to the fight against Islamic State.

Iraqi forces have cleared Islamic State militants from most of the northern town of Baiji and hope to drive them from the nearby oil refinery within days, a spokesman for the Shi'ite militias leading the fight said today.

Islamic State has killed five policemen in a town near Iraq's biggest refinery, in an attack that may help ease pressure on some of its fighters trapped in the strategically important facility, a security official said today.

Seventeen people were killed in Iraq today in clashes between Islamic State militants and pro-government forces in a town close to the country's biggest refinery, a focal point in efforts to counter the ultra-hardline Sunni group.

American forces are trying to relieve pressure on Iraqi forces at the geographically important Baiji oil refinery, hitting militants with 26 air strikes since Tuesday and helping drop 18 pallets of supplies, the top US general said on Thursday.

Iraqi forces retook most of the country's largest refinery from Islamic State on Saturday, security officials said, reversing gains by the militants who seized parts of the sprawling complex this week.

Iraq's largest refinery in Baiji is not "at risk" despite an offensive by the Islamic State group that has breached parts of the facility, the US military's top general said Thursday.

Islamic State militants breached the security perimeter around Iraq's largest refinery in Baiji today but were beaten back by security forces and coalition air strikes, local officials said.

Islamic State militants on Saturday launched suicide attacks against the Baiji oil refinery, Iraq's largest, a senior army officer said.

The United States and its allies conducted 15 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria during the past 24 hours, a U.S. military statement said on Saturday.

Islamic State militants have killed at least 24 members of the Kurdish security forces in a surprise attack in northern Iraq, Kurdish officials said, in one of the deadliest single battles for the Kurds since last summer.

Iraqi forces broke the Islamic State group's months-long siege of the country's largest oil refinery Saturday as America's top officer flew in to discuss the expanding war against the jihadists.

Iraqi forces recaptured the strategic town of Baiji Friday in a significant victory over the Islamic State group, as the UN accused the jihadists of crimes against humanity in neighbouring Syria.

Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State jihadist group on separate fronts today, ramping up operations to retake Baiji and Ramadi, two of the conflict's worst flashpoints.

Islamic State fighters have regained territory in the contested city of Baiji, home to Iraq's largest oil refinery, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the battle over the northern town of Baiji and its refinery - Iraq's largest - was critical to the fight against Islamic State.

Iraqi forces have cleared Islamic State militants from most of the northern town of Baiji and hope to drive them from the nearby oil refinery within days, a spokesman for the Shi'ite militias leading the fight said today.

Islamic State has killed five policemen in a town near Iraq's biggest refinery, in an attack that may help ease pressure on some of its fighters trapped in the strategically important facility, a security official said today.

Seventeen people were killed in Iraq today in clashes between Islamic State militants and pro-government forces in a town close to the country's biggest refinery, a focal point in efforts to counter the ultra-hardline Sunni group.

American forces are trying to relieve pressure on Iraqi forces at the geographically important Baiji oil refinery, hitting militants with 26 air strikes since Tuesday and helping drop 18 pallets of supplies, the top US general said on Thursday.

Iraqi forces retook most of the country's largest refinery from Islamic State on Saturday, security officials said, reversing gains by the militants who seized parts of the sprawling complex this week.

Iraq's largest refinery in Baiji is not "at risk" despite an offensive by the Islamic State group that has breached parts of the facility, the US military's top general said Thursday.

Islamic State militants breached the security perimeter around Iraq's largest refinery in Baiji today but were beaten back by security forces and coalition air strikes, local officials said.

Islamic State militants on Saturday launched suicide attacks against the Baiji oil refinery, Iraq's largest, a senior army officer said.

The United States and its allies conducted 15 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria during the past 24 hours, a U.S. military statement said on Saturday.

Islamic State militants have killed at least 24 members of the Kurdish security forces in a surprise attack in northern Iraq, Kurdish officials said, in one of the deadliest single battles for the Kurds since last summer.

Iraqi forces broke the Islamic State group's months-long siege of the country's largest oil refinery Saturday as America's top officer flew in to discuss the expanding war against the jihadists.

Iraqi forces recaptured the strategic town of Baiji Friday in a significant victory over the Islamic State group, as the UN accused the jihadists of crimes against humanity in neighbouring Syria.