When a fiery oil well in Iraq becomes a playground for children
Qayyarah, Iraq – Ayad leans against the black wall of a partially destroyed home, gripping an AK-47 in his hands.
He takes a deep breath and sprints across the road, between puddles of spilled oil, towards another house that he imagines is full of fighters. Ayad is followed by five fellow soldiers. Ahead of them, tongues of fire lick upwards from burning oil wells. The scene is apocalyptic.
Suddenly, a worker shouts towards Ayad and his group: “Get away from there, kids – it’s dangerous.”
