Syria: 30 killed in attack on oil refinery

(Baonghean.vn) - On Sunday, March 8, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) said the international coalition conducted airstrikes on an oil refinery controlled by the Islamic State (IS) in northeastern Syria, near the border with Türkiye.

The red areas are oil refineries controlled by IS and the blue areas are controlled by the government. Photo: LeMonde

According to OSDH report, the airstrike killed 30 people. It is worth mentioning that among the dead, in addition to IS jihadists, there were also civilians and staff working in the factory. It is known that this factory is one of the sources of income that helps IS continue its activities.

In October 2014, the United Nations estimated that IS's oil revenues were between $846,000 and $1.6 million a day. However, those profits have declined rapidly after the international coalition launched airstrikes and the sharp decline in world oil prices.

In the face of civilian casualties in airstrikes, the head of the international coalition promised to provide a reasonable explanation. A spokesman for the coalition assured that “When reports of civilian casualties by the US military or the international coalition are considered credible, an investigation will be opened to verify the veracity of the allegations and to examine the circumstances that led to the incident.”

Also on Sunday, the US military assured that it had no plans to increase air strikes against jihadists. General Martin Dempsey, the top US commander, declared that “dropping bombs on Iraq is not a solution.”

“We have to be responsible in using air power very precisely,” Mr. Martin said, to ensure that the increased air strikes do not increase the danger to civilians or turn people away from the coalition.

Chu Thanh– according to LeMonde 8/3