Iraq's oil inferno by Joshua Mcdonald / SOPA Images
During the Iraqi advance against Islamic state occupied territories in the north of Iraq, IS militants set dozens of oil wells alight in an attempt to "blacken the sky" so that coalition planes were unable to strike fleeing IS convoys.
The impact from the Islamic state's ruthless rule over large swaths of northern and central Iraq, will be felt long after they are gone. Whilst fleeing the villages surrounding their major stronghold Mosul, the militants set dozens of oil wells alight, the act was in attempt to "blacken the sky" so that coalition planes were unable to strike retreating IS convoys. This has not only cost millions of dollars in petroleum losses but has also had a massive environmental impact, destroying any chance of agriculture in the region for quite some time. The smoke has also caused major health issues for the civilians still living under the thick black cloud that has lasted for over twelve months and can be seen clearly from space.
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