Report: Iraqi forces advance on Kurdish-held Kirkuk
Iran Press TV
Sun Oct 15, 2017 09:56PM
Iraqi Forces have started to advance toward Kurdish-held Kirkuk, Reuters reports Kurdish and Iraqi officials as saying.
The announcement was made late on Sunday, several hours after Iraq's central government accused Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities of bringing militants from Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to the Kirkuk, saying it considered the move as a "declaration of war."
The Iraqi government has announced that it will impose its authority over Kirkuk and other disputed areas.
The statement came just hours before the expiry of a deadline for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to withdraw from strategic areas in Kirkuk.
The latest incidents come amid simmering tensions between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over a recent controversial referendum on the secession of the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region.
The plebiscite took place on September 25, sparking strong objection from Baghdad. Iraq's neighbors and the international community also voiced concerns about the repercussions of the vote, which was only supported by Israel.
Kirkuk, with some 10 percent of Iraq's oil reserves, has long been contested by Baghdad and Erbil.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
