At least 14 people have been killed -- including nine members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) since yesterday in clashes with IS around Sidra in Libya's oil crescent.
Libya's Channel has noted that there has been speculation on social media that one of the IS militants who carried out car suicide bombings yesterday at Sidra could be a 16-year-old boy who recently disappeared from Tripoli.
IS released a photo of the suicide bomber, whom it named as Abu Abdallah al-Ansari and who was pictured with his face covered.
Abu Abdallah al-Ansari is pictured on right in the tweet below.
As IS militants continue to attack Libya's oil export terminal of Sidra for the second day in a row, Platts offers some context about the importance of Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil terminals.
Sidra is Libya's largest crude oil export terminal and can produce 340,000 barrels per day.
Ras Lanuf is a 220,000 barrels per day terminal.
Both terminals have been closed since June, however, when Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared force majeure. As a result, Libya has been left with just 195,000 barrels per day export capacity.
Here is the "cry for help" posted by Libya's National Oil Corporation on its website in the light of attacks yesterday and today by IS militants on Sidra and Ras Lanuf.
To the free Libyan people to the patriotic who are faithful to their country and the capability and savings of the Libyan people, which are being destroyed and burned down while all the world is watching without doing anything. We are helpless and not being able to do anything against this deliberate destruction to the oil installations in Es-sidra and Ras Lanuf… As the hero firefighters were about to get control of the fire of a tank in Ras Lanuf Terminal last night, despite all the circumstances, we witness targeting another tank this morning in Es-sidra Terminal which resulted in fire breaking out in it.
National Oil Corporation urges all faithful and honorable people of this homeland to hurry to rescue what is left from the capabilities before it is too late. Your country is calling for you before what is left from your future and your children’s future is destroyed.
People of the West, People of the East, People of the South… Today is the day of solidarity, unity and casting aside disagreement. To every jealous Libyan … To every free Libyan to everyone who sees the future of his life and the future of his children lives… hurry up to rescue your fortune and the future of your lives… history will record any failure of you.
There are also local media reports that IS has targeted Iraqi forces in central Ramadi with suicide car bombs.
Sky News Arabia is reporting that IS militants have blown up a hospital in Ramadi, in Iraq's Anbar province.
Here are some images from the pro-IS Aamaq News video which claims to show IS taking control of oil tanks south of Sidra yesterday. The video was released earlier today.
Fayez Seraj, the head of the Presidency Council of the Libyan Government of National Accord, has spoken with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni about the attacks by the IS group on Libyan oil terminals.
The U.S.-led coalition against IS has published details of air strikes carried out yesterday (January 4) against the IS group in Iraq and Syria.
These include two strikes near Haditha -- where Iraqi tribal and security forces are battling a major IS offensive -- which hit near two separate IS tactical units and destroyed an IS mortar position, three IS fighting positions, four IS vehicles, two IS heavy machine guns, and wounded two IS militants.
AFP has spoken to a tribal commander in Iraq's Anbar province and the mayor of Haditha, who confirmed heavy casualties in major clashes with IS militants near Haditha.
Tribal commander Abdallah Atallah told AFP by phone that 25 Iraqi fighters have been killed in 72 hours and that dozens more have been wounded.
"It was one of the biggest offensives we have seen. It came from three directions," he said.
Haditha mayor Mabrouk Hamid said that Haditha was "targeted Sunday [January 3] by a massive offensive involving more than 40 vehicles, all armored, and some explosives-laden."