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Iraqi security forces on Thursday continued fighting Islamic State (IS) militants in different areas across the north central province of Salahudin, a provincial security source said.
In the early hours of the day, a suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden car at a base of security forces and allied militias on the edge of Allas oil field east of Tikrit, the provincial capital, leaving two policemen killed, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The blast was followed by heavy clashes between security forces and dozens of Islamic State (IS) militants who failed for the second day to gain a foothold in the Allas oil field area.
Early on Wednesday, an IS attack was foiled on Allas, an abandoned oil field at the edge of the mountainous area of Himreen, some 40 km east of Tikrit.
In another oil field, Ajil, just east of Tikrit, security forces repelled an assault by IS militants. The clashes, which were still going on, left at least one policeman and three IS militants dead, the source said.
The small Ajil oil field used to be an important source of funding for the IS, which extracted about 10,000 barrels per day and transported to others areas under its control.
The two oil fields, Allas and Ajil, were seized by IS militants following the June 10 blitzkrieg when the group seized large swathes of territories in predominantly Sunni provinces, but the oil fields were freed by the Iraqi forces in March.
Earlier on Thursday, at least four security members were killed and 16 others wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a military base housing Iraqi police and allied militias in Shajarat al-Dur area, just west of Tikrit.
The huge blast was immediately followed by attack of dozens of Islamic State (IS) militants on the scene, sparking heavy clashes with the troops, the source said.
Also in the province, heavy clashes continued between security forces and IS militants which partially seized Iraq's largest oil refinery of Baiji, some 200 km north of Baghdad.
On Tuesday, Iraq dispatched reinforcement troops, backed by tanks and armored vehicles, to an airbase just north of Tikrit in an offensive aimed at retaking full control of the oil refinery.
Over the past few days, IS militants have repeatedly carried out attacks on government troops and allied militias, and captured large areas of the vast oil refinery.
Since March 2, some 30,000 government troops and thousands of allied Shiite and Sunni militias have participated in Iraq's biggest offensive to recapture the northern part of Salahudin from IS militants. Enditem
