KIRKUK, Iraq - A crude pipeline in oil-rich northern Iraq was set ablaze early Friday after being bombed by militants, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. Repairs at the site, near Al-Fatah, 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the oil city of Kirkuk, were expected to be completed within a day and crude exports would not be affected, he said.“A bomb explosion as a result of terrorist action resulted in fire in the pipeline at Al-Fatah,” Jihad said, adding that the crude was being pumped from Kirkuk to a refinery elsewhere in Salaheddin province. “This sabotage action will be fixed within a day and will not affect oil exports,” he said.
US military spokesman Major Winfield Danielson confirmed the fire. “Repair and fire crews are at the site. Despite the fire, crude from Kirkuk can still be exported through alternate means until repairs are completed. The cause is under investigation.”