Syrian rebels capture oilfield near Iraqi border

The victory came after three days of fighting government troops

Topics: Iraq, Middle East, Syria, From the Wires, Oil, Conflict,

Syrian rebels capture oilfield near Iraqi borderIn this Saturday, Nov. 03, 2012 photo, a rebel fighter keep an eye towards overlooking windows as he awaits for loyalists to President Bashar Assad to appear during a coordinated attack on rebels using mortar, tank and aerial artillery fire in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras)(Credit: AP)

BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say Syrian rebels have captured an oilfield in the country’s east after three days of fierce fighting with government troops protecting the facility.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ chief Rami Abdul-Rahman says rebels overran the al-Ward oilfield in the province of Deir el-Zour near the border with Iraq on Sunday.

Omar Abu Leila, an activist in the area, says the field was still functioning until shortly before the rebels seized it.

Syria exported some 150,000 barrels of oil a day before European and U.S. imposed sanctions last year.

In 2010, Syria earned $4.4 billion by selling oil to EU countries alone. Oil was the main source of hard currency for the regime until the sanctions took effect.

Alex Halperin is news editor at Salon. You can follow him on Twitter @alexhalperin.

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