Iraqi Troops Pushing ISIS Out of Oil Refinery Town

The Iraqi Army has recaptured the heart of a town that's home to the country's largest oil refinery.

Iraq state television is reporting that Iraqi troops drove out ISIS extremists from the center of the town of Beiji, securing the city's local government and police headquarters.

U.S. officials say coalition aircraft have conducted seven airstrikes near Beiji since Friday.

Retaking the town, 155 miles north of Baghdad, could allow Iraqi forces a base to attack neighboring Tikrit, which was taken by the Islamic State in their lightning advance this summer.

But a senior military official said clashes continue in other parts of the town. Troops backed by Shiite militias faced pockets of stiff resistance around Beiji, hindering their advance.

The governor of the province said ISIS terrorists are using suicide bombers and booby-trapped buildings to stall the military.

There was no word on the fate of the refinery, which lies on the outskirts of the town and has been besieged by Islamic State fighters since June.

A small army unit inside the refinery, resupplied and reinforced by air for months, has successfully resisted wave after wave of extremist assaults.