 Militants from the so-called Islamic State (IS) group attempted surprise offensives on key, hard-won locations in northern Iraq, to no avail.Federal government forces repelled attacks on the Baiji refinery and the Samarra dam, while Kurdish forces weathered offensives targeting Kirkuk and the city of Gwer, near Erbil.The Baiji attack began on Sunday morning, when IS militants sent a car laden with explosives to the outer ring of security at the Baiji refinery, according to a senior offi…