Watch: Fire breaks out at Lanaz refinery in Iraq’s Erbil after drone strike
A drone strike triggered a fire at the Lanaz refinery in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq on Saturday, forcing authorities to suspend operations at the facility.Videos circulating online showed a large fire and thick black smoke rising from the site.According to Jerusalem Post, officials from the Kurdistan Region’s ministry of natural resources told Reuters early on Sunday that the fire had been contained; however, refinery operations remain suspended.Provincial officials earlier said work at the refinery would stay halted until the fire caused by Saturday’s drone strike was fully brought under control and authorities assessed the extent of the damage to the facility.Also read: Force majeure explained- why Gulf countries are invoking it amid Iran vs US-Israel warPro-Iran militias, under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) have ealier claimed drone and missile attacks on and Nato bases in Erbil and sites in Baghdad.The attacks comes as Iraq faces increasing security threats linked to the wider US–Israel–Iran conflict, which began after surprise airstrikes on Iran on February 28.
