ISIL retaliates against locals by torching oil wells
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/isil-retaliates-locals-torching-oil-wells-161029122306148.html...The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) invaded Qayyara in June 2014. The predominantly Sunni town, located about 60km south of Mosul, is rich in oil, with more than 60 wells. Most of its 20,000 residents remained in Qayyara after the ISIL invasion, living under the group's rule for two years.
But on August 25, Iraqi forces pushed into the town, and ISIL quickly retreated. Before fleeing, ISIL fighters blew up an oil well in the middle of a residential area, destroying 20 homes. Oil still boils amongst the debris. In total, ISIL fighters set 15 oil wells in this area on fire as they retreated.
"They [ISIL] set the wells on fire because they wanted to black the sky and prevent air strikes, but they also did it as a means of retaliation against the local population," says Bashir Murat, who is in charge of the Nineveh oil fields. The lack of electricity has made his job more difficult, as he needs power to pump water and extinguish the flames.
"Once we start, it will take between 10 days to a month to stop it," he says.
So far, Murat's team has doused six of the 15 wells. Security is a primary concern, as ISIL might have placed explosive devices around the wells. "We have to be very careful when approaching," Murat says.
This technique is not new: Saddam Hussein's army torched hundreds of oil wells when retreating from Kuwait in 1991. It took nearly a year to completely extinguish the flames.
Meanwhile, the fumes are badly affecting local residents. The plumes of smoke are visible from kilometres away, with polluted air reaching the nearby towns of Haji Ali and Osaja, just across the Tigris. Further aggravating the situation, ISIL set alight a sulphur plant north of Qayyara on October 20. The toxic gas killed at least two people, and nearly 1,000 people had to be treated....
