Pipeline blast in northern Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq, Jan 14 (AFP) - Rebels blew up a pipeline overnight near Baiji, site of Iraq's largest refinery, which US forces have identified as a trouble spot ahead of January 30 elections.
"A strong explosion ripped up a pipeline at 10:30 pm (1930 GMT) near Fatha, seven kilometres (four miles) north of Baghdad," said an Iraqi oil protection force officer Khodr Abdullah.
The attack was identified as a bomb blast by the US military on Friday.
Abdullah said the pipeline was not a major route linking the northern Kirkuk oil fields to Turkey, a potential revenue-earner for Iraq that has been effectively shut down by attacks.
The Fatha region has five pipelines running from the Kirkuk fields to Baiji, which the US Major General John Batiste called a volatile region on Thursday.
Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban said Thursday insurgents were carrying out at least one attack a day on Iraq's vital oil infrastructure, at times shutting down all fuel lines to Baghdad.