REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BAGHDAD -- Iraqi security forces repelled attacks by Islamic State (IS/ISIS) militants Sunday in the provinces of Salahudin and Anbar, according to security sources.

In addition, a wave of car bombings struck commercial areas in the country's capital city Baghdad, security sources said.

In Salahudin, troops and allied militias - known as Hashd Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization - repelled an overnight attack by dozens of IS militants from two directions on Iraq's largest oil refinery of Baiji, 200 km north of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

IS militants were forced to withdraw following heavy clashes with the troops which resulted in two huge fires in a few of the refinery facilities, the source said.

No more details were given regarding casualties as sporadic clashes were still underway with several extremist militants who refused to withdraw and continued fighting in some buildings.

On April 18, security forces freed the vast oil refinery of Baiji after fierce clashes with militants who had captured parts of it earlier. However, the militants repeatedly carried out failed attempts to reclaim the refinery.

Since the early hours of the morning, additional security forces arrived to Baiji, partially held by IS militants, to support troops fighting for over a week to fend off extremist militants holed in the western neighborhoods of the town.

The battles in Baiji and the nearby oil refinery are part of a large-scale operation launched over 10 days ago aiming to recapture areas seized by IS militants north of the province.

Since March 2, around 30,000 Iraqi troops and thousands of allied Shiite and Sunni militias have been involved in Iraq's biggest offensive in order to recapture from IS militants the northern part of Salahudin, including Tikrit and other key towns and villages.

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