Iraqi security forces personnel participate in an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants in the Himreen mountains of Diyala province, October 25, 2014.REUTERS/Stringer
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces said they advanced to within 2 km (1.2 miles) of the city of Baiji on Wednesday in a new offensive to retake the country's biggest oil refinery, besieged since June by Islamic State militants.
Backed by Shi'ite militias and army helicopters, government forces have swept through a desert area to the west of Baiji, aiming to recapture the city 200 km (130 miles) north of the capital.
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