Oil pipeline sabotaged in northern Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq, Feb 13 (AFP) - An oil pipeline in northern Iraq was ablaze late Sunday when a bomb planted by saboteurs exploded, an official at the North Oil Company said.
"A fire broke out after the explosion, caused by saboteurs at 10:00 pm (1900 GMT)," said an NOC official.
The damaged pipeline links the Havana oil fields, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
"Firefighters are on site trying to contain the fire," said the official.
Last Thursday, a pipeline linking Kirkuk to the oil refinery town of Baiji, north of Baghdad, was attacked by a rocket.
According to the interim Iraqi government, persistent insurgent attacks on the country's oil resources have caused losses of between seven and eight billion dollars in much-needed oil export revenue.

02/13/2005 20:47 GMT - AFP