Special to WorldTribune.com from

WASHINGTON — The United States has targeted crude oil refineries in Syria held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Officials said the U.S. Air Force and Arab allies attacked 12 mobile oil refineries operated by ISIL in northern Syria.

The officials said the refineries were earning revenues of up to $2 million per day for ISIL’s war in Iraq and Syria.

“We are still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries, but have initial indications that the strikes were successful,” U.S. Central Command said.

Officials said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates participated in the air strikes on the refineries on Sept. 24. They said 10 fighter-jets from the two Gulf Cooperation Council states were deployed in the operation.

This marked at least the second time that Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined the U.S. air strikes on ISIL. Saudi Arabia operates nearly 150 U.S.-origin F-15s while the UAE maintains a fleet of nearly 80 F-16s.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 14 ISIL fighters and five civilians were killed in the U.S.-led air strikes in the provinces of Dir Al Zour and Hassakeh. The United States has not confirmed the report.

ISIL has been selling gasoline and other refined petroleum through the black markets in Syria and Turkey. Officials said the air strikes targeted refineries that produced up to 500 barrels of refined petroleum per day.

ISIL was said to control six out of 10 oil fields in Syria.

“The destruction and degradation of these targets further limits ISIL’s ability to lead, control, project power and conduct operations,” Centcom said.

  F-15s, GCC, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, U.S. hit ISIL refineries producing $2 million per day