Iraqi insurgents hit the country's infrastructure late Thursday, carrying out a mortar attack on Baghdad's main oil refinery.
The attack ignited a fire at the Dura refinery, which feeds a power plant that provides electricity to the capital and surrounding areas. The facility has been a regular target of insurgent attacks, contributing to fuel shortages in the Iraqi capital.
Earlier Thursday, officials in Lebanon confirmed that two Lebanese businessmen have been kidnapped from their home in Baghdad.
On Wednesday, the U.S. military said one soldier was killed during a firefight with insurgents in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Rebels detonated a car bomb outside a U.S. outpost and opened fire on arriving soldiers. At least 25 of the attackers were killed.
Violence in Mosul has intensified following a November offensive against insurgents in Fallujah, as some militants fled to the northern city.
The insurgent group that claimed responsibility for last week's attack on a U.S. base in Mosul that killed 22 people has renewed its threat to kill anyone who takes part in next month's election.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.