Iraqi security forces have reportedly reached the Baiji oil refinery after driving the Islamic State (IS) militants out from the area in an attempt to end the five month-long siege, officials said.
General Abdul Wahab al-Saadi said that the advance could be the "main key" in liberating the rest of Iraq, reported the BBC.
The oil refinery, which is Iraq's largest, was seized by the IS while it advanced unhindered and conquered large swathes of Iraq in June.
