Oil workers injured in shootout near Halfaya

AMARA - Two Chinese oil workers and an Iraqi security guard are in stable condition after their work transport bus was caught in the middle of a gun battle between rival tribes near the Halfaya oil field, in Missan province.

The Jan. 8 incident, which was prompted by a tribal dispute over oil field contracts, highlights a type of security risk that international oil companies still face in southern Iraq, where competition for limited job opportunities can create friction with local residents.