Rudaw - Erbil
For days now, drivers have endured kilometer-long queues to refill their tanks at petrol stations. Panic spread following various reports that the Baiji refinery, a major supplier of gasoline to northern Iraq, had been taken by militants. Queues blocked highways, magnifying concerns about the gravity of the situation before police arrived to ensure orderly lines. Law enforcement cracked down on black market oil vendors. Despite this many drivers complain of higher prices at the pump--insult upon injury after waiting hours or even overnight for a refill--and some taxis are asking for double the usual fare.
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