Rebels launch 11 bomb attacks

2006-01-01 21:47

Baghdad - Insurgents launched a string of 11 car bomb attacks in Iraq on Sunday as demonstrators, protesting fuel shortages in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk, set fire to petrol stations.

The Cypriot foreign ministry announced the release of a hostage held for five months in Iraq and Sudan confirmed that five of its nationals had been freed.

Security officials said at least eight bombs exploded on Sunday in Baghdad, wounding some 32 people.

Police said two car bombs also exploded in the northern city of Kirkuk wounding four civilians. Two more car bombs exploded in towns just north of Baghdad.

Shortages of petrol

One person was also killed and four injured after riots broke out in Kirkuk, 255km north of Baghdad, as demonstrators protesting the lack of basic services and shortages of petrol torched two petrol stations and offices belonging to the national oil company.

The riots, which broke out in the mainly Kurdish district of Rahimawa, saw protesters throw stones at police and seized some of their weapons.

Police brigadier-general Munis Isahak said: "The citizens have a right to protest, but these have turned violent and people have been hurt.

"A lot of our vehicles have been damaged."

Insurgent attacks

United States helicopters buzzed the district, but soldiers standing by, a short distance away, didn't intervene.

The violent protest was one of several across the country in the past few days, where fuel distribution had been disrupted by insurgent attacks and threats against oil tanker truck drivers.

In the latest attack on oil installations, rebels on Sunday blew up an oil pipeline near a Baghdad oil refinery, sparking a large-scale fire.

Oil ministry spokesperson Assim Jihad said the attack targeted a pipeline bringing crude oil from the south of the country to the Dura refinery.

Jihad said: "This attack has affected production at the refinery, which can handle 110 000 barrels a day, but it has not stopped production."

Threats by rebels

Jihad said some tanker truck drivers had resumed moving petroleum products from the northern Baiji refinery, the largest refinery in the country, after stopping work 10 days ago because of threats by rebels.

He said: "A limited number of tanker trucks started moving petroleum products on Saturday", adding that the plant would resume production as soon as space became available in its storage tanks.

The closure of the Baiji refinery had a knock-on effect in Baghdad, where the local Dura refinery was forced to cut production because of the closure of pipelines.

In Baghdad, Lebanese charge d'affaires Hassan Hijazi said Garo Jikerjian, who had joint Cypriot and Lebanese nationality, "was released a few hours ago. He is under the protection of the Lebanese embassy and is in good health".

The Cypriot foreign ministry said he was released on December 31 and was expected to return to Cyprus in the next few days.

- AFP