Police head of Iraq oil town Baiji fired

BAIJI, Iraq, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The police chief of the Iraqi oil hub Baiji will be dismissed following Tuesday's suicide attack, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Abdul Karim Khalaf said Interior Minister Jawad al-Boulani has made the call to fire the Baiji chief, Alsumaria TV reports.

A suicide bomber detonated a vehicle outside of residential quarters belonging to the North Oil Co., according to media reports. At least 29 people were killed and more than 80 injured in the blast.

Baiji is home to Iraq's largest oil refinery, and violence there has ticked up recently. A part of the Kirkuk to Turkey pipeline sends oil to be refined there.

The pipeline is also a major target; having been attacked so often since 2003 it has been offline more than on. Recent improvements in security and repairs have helped push Iraq oil production and exports up by 300,000 barrels a day in recent months.