ISIS Plans to Target North African Oil Fields to Boost Income

ISIS Plans to Target North African Oil Fields to Boost Income
Wed Dec 16, 2015 16:32:20

ISIS has plans to attack oil fields, pipelines and trucking routes in Libya and Sinai Peninsula in order to increase its income because the costs of its oil operations in Syria have increased.

Daesh has plans to attack oil production facilities in Libya and the Sinai Peninsula in order to boost its income because the costs of its oil operations in Syria have increased, a US official told the press in Washington on Tuesday.

"They are looking at the oil assets in Libya and elsewhere. We'll be prepared," the senior official said at a press briefing.

He explained that US intelligence services are looking at oil fields, pipelines and trucking routes which could be targeted by the terrorists, and that the organization's finances have taken a hit due to air strikes on oil transportation facilities that it controls.

"The costs of the operation have gone up and the ability to move it around has gone down," he said.

Last week US Treasury official Adam Szubin estimated that the militants are making up to $40 million per month selling oil that is stolen from production facilities in Syria, and have made up to $500 million in total so far from the oil trade; Sputnik reported.

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