Iraq’s largest refinery remains shut due to looting and sabotage

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq claimed on Sunday that the Baiji refinery – the country’s largest -- has been subjected to looting and warned over potential sabotage. 

"Devices and equipment and other materials have been stolen at the Baiji refinery," said town mayor Mohammed Mahmood. Iraqi "security forces have begun legal measures to prevent the theft that has sabotaged the operating of the refinery."

Mahmood said the refinery has not been restarted since the town was reclaimed from the Islamic State (ISIS) group in October because "there are still security forces inside the refinery."

Photos purporting to show the looting of equipment at Baiji by militiamen of the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, have been published by Iraqi activists. 

In the meantime, economist Abdulwahid Taha told Rudaw that "the sabotaging of the Baiji refinery will negatively impact the Iraqi economy" and that facility needs serious repair because it has been out of operation for several months due to fighting.

In mid-2014, Iraqi forces captured the town of Baiji from ISIS and last October they evicted the militants from facility with the help of Shiite militiamen and airstrikes from the US-led coalition.