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Islamic State group attacks Iraq’s largest oil refinery

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<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div><br /><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkboa_b3RpMCBSiHJZ4RTa4ULaR1LXSEhc-hyArVU1aHQaO8DqLOZEj3NLTBgPA3IluYgj-db102ZnHuFDqqLCODo0V-XJ44Sggl83chPSnVKiZC0o16DsY7X17W9DgXcbvbbEtdQ41o0/s1600/isis+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkboa_b3RpMCBSiHJZ4RTa4ULaR1LXSEhc-hyArVU1aHQaO8DqLOZEj3NLTBgPA3IluYgj-db102ZnHuFDqqLCODo0V-XJ44Sggl83chPSnVKiZC0o16DsY7X17W9DgXcbvbbEtdQ41o0/s1600/isis+new.jpg" width="400"/> </a> </div><br /><br/><br /><b><br/> </b> <b><br/> </b> <b>The Islamic State group launched a series of suicide attacks on Iraq’s largest oil refinery on Saturday, a senior army officer said.</b><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The jihadist group claimed it broke in to the Baiji oil refinery but the Iraqi army said the site, which has been the scene of fierce battles since the IS group swept across the region last year, remained under its control.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />“Today Daesh (an Arab acronym for IS) launched an attack against the Baiji oil refinery,” said a major general from Salaheddin province, in which Baiji is located.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He described the attack on the refinery, which lies around 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Baghdad, as “the fiercest since we broke the siege a few months ago.”<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a id="more" name="more"> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The officer and other military sources said the attack was launched around 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and led to clashes.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He said IS group militants attacked the large complex from three fronts: Al-Bujwari village to the south, the housing compound for refinery employees to the west and one of the smaller plants producing derivatives to the east.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />“Three suicide attackers were able to reach the entrances of the refinery. Two were killed but one managed to blow himself up,” the army officer said.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He said that the Iraqi forces protecting the refinery regained control of the entrances and that the entire site was now under government control.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The IS group released pictures showing convoys of their Humvees attacking the refinery perimeter and of fighters apparently inside the limits of the site.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The army officer said 20 jihadist fighters were killed in raids by the Iraqi air force, although that figure could not be verified.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />“Daesh is trying to send the message that they are everywhere but in fact they are defeated and cannot advance,” he said.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The Islamic State group launched a massive offensive on northwestern Iraq in June and swept across much of the country’s sunni Arab heartland within days.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Counter-terrorism and other forces tasked with protecting the vital refinery held out and remained besieged for months.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />An Iraqi operation, backed by air strikes from a US-led coalition, eventually broke the siege in October and retook the city, which lies just south of the refinery.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The jihadists have since wrested the city back.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Following their victory in Tikrit earlier this month, government forces will have to re-take it once again as they continue to move north towards the main IS hub of Mosul.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The Baiji refinery once produced some 300,000 barrels of refined petroleum products per day, meeting 50 percent of the country’s needs.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />via nigerianeye</div><br /></div>

Islamic State group attacks Iraq’s largest oil refinery

Islamic State group attacks Iraq’s largest oil refinery

The Islamic State group launched a series of suicide attacks on Iraq’s largest oil refinery on Saturday, a senior army officer said. T...

Tension mounts as voting continues in Rivers

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<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div><br/><br /><br/><br /><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CbrBl-ExLr46PkQZAH7xfFF_AGnsOHeS3wfqAJf9Dxydgdic8N7kX_5djwyLrOgGDZXD61Tr4bSCZEti2lWjHisnQB07J1aXH5R8w1mDpRpEwle4RLZebVi0tCHSUXvDw7D8P1hpZX0/s1600/Dakuku-Peterside-Nyesom-Wike1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CbrBl-ExLr46PkQZAH7xfFF_AGnsOHeS3wfqAJf9Dxydgdic8N7kX_5djwyLrOgGDZXD61Tr4bSCZEti2lWjHisnQB07J1aXH5R8w1mDpRpEwle4RLZebVi0tCHSUXvDw7D8P1hpZX0/s1600/Dakuku-Peterside-Nyesom-Wike1.jpg" width="400"/> </a> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><b>Voting has been extended into Sunday in a key regional election in Nigeria’s restive Rivers state after irregularities at some polling stations, officials said.</b><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The extension affects nine wards in the oil-rich southern state, said the state’s top electoral officer Gesila Khan.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a id="more" name="more"> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />She said that in some instances key election materials were never delivered to polling stations.<br/><br /><br/><br />The results from Saturday’s election have been thrown out in other parts of the state after ballot papers were openly stolen, she added.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />As Khan did not specify how many areas were affected, it was not immediately possible to estimate the impact on the statewide result.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Rivers has emerged as the key battleground in Nigeria’s 2015 regional elections, after the state saw unrest during presidential polls last month.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Tensions has been fuelled by personal rivalry between outgoing governor Rotimi Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan after the former’s defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress in 2013.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Amaechi’s spokeswoman Ibim Semenitari on Sunday accused Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of trying to steal the election through a massive ballot stuffing effort.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />She called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate the APC’s claims and to “ensure that the people’s voices are not silenced.”<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The heavy security presence deployed ahead of the vote in the state capital Port Harcourt continued on Sunday in anticipation of the final result being disputed.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Jonathan, who lost the national vote to challenger Muhammadu Buhari, won Rivers with more than 95 percent support.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Some analysts have suggested that Jonathan’s dominance in the state pointed to a likely victory for PDP governorship candidate Nyesom Wike, but the APC has insisted that its candidate Dakuku Peterside could win if the polls were free and fair.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />via nigerianeye</div><br /></div>

Tension mounts as voting continues in Rivers

Tension mounts as voting continues in Rivers

Voting has been extended into Sunday in a key regional election in Nigeria’s restive Rivers state after irregularities at some polling sta...

Buhari defeats Jonathan in Oyo, wins 27 LGs

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<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://ift.tt/lH0Osb'><br /><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'><a href="http://ift.tt/1bICamA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://ift.tt/1bICamA" width="400"/> </a> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in Oyo State.<br/><br /><br/><br /><a id="more" name="more"> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Buhari won with a landslide victory, clearing 27 of the 33 LGs in the state.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The APC candidate polled 528,620 votes while President Goodluck Jonathan scored 303,376.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The PDPwon in just six councils in the state.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />via nigerianeye</div><br /></div>

Buhari defeats Jonathan in Oyo, wins 27 LGs

Buhari defeats Jonathan in Oyo, wins 27 LGs

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has defeated President Goodluck Jonathan ...

Group Calls On U.S, E.U To Intervene Against Further Nigerian Election Postponements

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<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://ift.tt/lH0Osb'><br /><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> </div><br /><br/><br /><div style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'><img src="http://ift.tt/1ChyymK"/> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><div><span style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;'><span style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;'><br/> </span> </span> </div><br /><br/><br /><div><span style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;'><br/> </span> </div><br /><br/><br /><div><span style='font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;'><br/> </span> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice at the weekend called on the international community, particularly the European Union, United States and Canada, to pressure the Nigerian government to ensure rescheduled elections are held as planned.<br/><br /><br/><br /><a id="more" name="more"> </a><br/><br /><br/><br />The civil society group said it was worried that after an inter-agency consultative Committee of Election Security meeting held on Monday February 23, 2015 with the National Security Adviser, on the preparedness of the military and para-military organisations for the general elections, INEC was still not sure of the level of security during the polls for its staff and election materials.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The consultative meeting was the first between the INEC and the security agencies since the elections, initially scheduled for February 14, 2015 were postponed by six weeks over security concerns.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, had said at the end of the meeting that the electoral body was still unable to guarantee security to provide the platform for a free, fair and credible general elections slated for March 28 and April 11.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />“The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) is worried that this ugly trend is rearing its head again in spite of repeated assurances from President Goodluck Jonathan,” the group said in a statement by its Executive Director, David Ugolor. “We consider the nervous disposition of INEC as an ominous sign that portends ill for the March 28 and April 11 2015 Elections.”<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He commended the recent visit of the President, along with Chief of Army Staff to some sections of the recaptured territories from Boko Haram, to boost the morale of the Nigerian troops.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />Mr. Ugolor however urged the National Security Adviser to the President, Sambo Dasuki, and the security chiefs to do everything within their powers to assure INEC, Nigerians and indeed the free world of adequate security during the general elections.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />“Anything less is unacceptable, especially as the constitution does not sanction any kind of shift of the general elections beyond the current dates of March 28, and April 11,” Mr. Ugolor said.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The EU, U.S., Canada and the international community, he said, must take a firm and resolute position concerning the elections in Nigeria, adding that the Nigerian authorities should be compelled to demonstrate patriotism and selflessness in forestalling any constitutional crisis in the country.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />He said if the Federal Government does not support INEC with needed security for the general elections, it would be seen as an open invitation to anarchy.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />The military authorities, the group said, must continue to fight terror in the North-East for INEC to conduct peaceful and successful elections, while President Jonathan, as the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces, must provide all necessary assistance to the Inter-Agency Committee on Election Security to support INEC organize the elections.<br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />via nigerianeye</div><br /></div>

Group Calls On U.S, E.U To Intervene Against Further Nigerian Election Postponements

Group Calls On U.S, E.U To Intervene Against Further Nigerian Election Postponements

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice at the weekend called on the international community, particularly the Euro...

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