BAGHDAD, June 23: Iraq’s fuel pipelines came under fresh attack on Monday by elements apparently bent on disrupting US plans to use Iraqi oil revenues to rebuild the country, as Saddam Hussein’s soldiers won a pay battle with coalition forces.

The third attack on Iraq’s pipelines in less than two weeks hit in the northwest of the country on what was thought to be a key fuel line to Syria, amid a warning that such attacks could become a daily occurrence.

“The ministry is aware of an attack near al-Abidiyah al-Gharbiya not far from the Syrian border,” an oil ministry official said.

“It seems there are people prepared to mount such attacks every day on Iraq’s pipelines,” he added, after a gas duct exploded west of Baghdad late Saturday in a blast described by residents as sabotage.

US military officials said they were unable to confirm the attack, which comes as the latest challenge to their plans to use the country’s vast oil wealth — the world’s second largest known reserves — to fund reconstruction.

A similar explosion holed an oil pipeline to Turkey earlier this month, and officials said Sunday repairs were still ongoing, delaying shipments.

Despite US officials insisting that the security situation in Iraq is improving, the blasts have exposed how easily those opposed to the US occupation are able to disrupt rebuilding efforts.—AFP