By Seng Li Peng
SINGAPORE, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than $1
on Friday after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi
military personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East
tensions may disrupt oil supplies.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $67.48 a barrel, up
$1.23, or 1.86%, by 0202 GMT, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI)
crude futures CLc1 rose $1.03, or 1.68%, to $62.21 a barrel.
"The supply side risks remain elevated in the Middle East
and we could see tensions continue to elevate between the U.S.
and Iran-backed militia in Iraq," Edward Moya, analyst at
brokerage OANDA, spoke to Reuters via email.
An air strike at the Baghdad International Airport early on
Friday killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of
the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis, an Iraqi militia spokesman told Reuters.