Iranian troops withdraw from disputed oil well

An Iraqi government spokesman says Iranian troops have partially withdrawn from a disputed oil well claimed by both Tehran and Baghdad. Ali al-Dabbagh said a small group of Iranian troops were no longer in control of the site along the two countries' border.

Ownership of the al-Fauqa oil fields has been disputed since the wells were built in 1974 [Reuters]

He added that the Iranian flag had been lowered and its troops pulled back from the al-Fakkah oilfield. Iraqi sources claim that late on Thursday, Iranian forces crossed into Iraqi territory and seized the oil well.

The al-Fakkah oilfield was first drilled by the Iraqis in 1979 before the Iraqi-Iranian eight-year war in 1980. However, since then there has been much debate over who the site belongs to and which side has the right to pump from it.