29 September 2014, News Wires – The US and coalition forces have continued to bombard Islamic State-controlled oil refineries in Syria, with at least four more facilities attacked at the weekend.
Fighter jets from the US, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates targeted the facilities and an Islamic State command centre, with the US Central Command claiming the raids appeared to be successful.
One of the facilities attacked was reported to be the Tel Abyad refinery near the border with Turkey.
The US Department of Defense said on Sunday that it will continue “to conduct targeted airstrikes against (Islamic State) in Syria and Iraq as local forces go on the offensive against (Islamic State)”.
The US also carried out airstrikes against an Islamic State building near Kobani in north-central Syria, near the border with Turkey.
In the middle of last week the US, Saudi Arabia and UAE carried out 13 airstrikes on a dozen refineries said to be controlled by Islamic State. Most of the strikes were carried out in Al Mayadin, Al Hasakah and Abu Kamal, with one Islamic State vehicle also hit near Dayr az Zawr.
Islamic State is largely in control of Syria’s oil and gas fields in the east of the country, giving it access to crude production and refined products, which the group has been smuggling to help finance its operations.
Smuggling routes include neighbouring Turkey but militants are known to have been selling refined products to the Syrian government, which is short of fuel after the loss of its major oilfields.
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