Iraqi forces capture key sites from Kurds

London: Iraqi government forces have captured key installations outside the disputed city of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters, reports BBC.

A military statement said units had taken control of the K1 military base, the Baba Gurgur oil and gas field, and a state-owned oil company's offices. Baghdad said the Peshmerga had withdrawn "without fighting", but clashes were reported south of Kirkuk.

The operation was launched a month after the Kurdistan Region held a controversial independence referendum. Iraq's prime minister has said the vote - in which residents of Kurdish-controlled areas, including Kirkuk, overwhelmingly backed secession - was unconstitutional. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insisted it was legitimate. US officials said they were "engaged with all parties in Iraq to de-escalate tension".

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement that the operation in Kirkuk was necessary to "protect the unity of the country, which was in danger of partition" because of the referendum.

"We call upon all citizens to co-operate with our heroic armed forces, which are committed to our strict directives to protect civilians in the first place, and to impose security and order, and to protect state installations and institutions," he added.

Earlier, the Iraqi military announced that elite units had been "re-deployed" at the K1 base, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the city of Kirkuk, and that other troops had taken control of the nearby Leylan area, the Baba Gurgur oilfield, and the headquarters of the North Oil Company.

The military also said troops had taken control of a military airport, police station, power plant and several industrial areas, as well as key bridges, roads, junctions.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council accused Baghdad of launching an "unprovoked attack" and said the Peshmerga would "continue to defend Kurdistan, its peoples and interests".  Peshmerga had destroyed five US-made Humvees used by the Popular Mobilisation, a paramilitary force dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, it added.

Peshmerga spokesman Brig Gen Bahzad Ahmed told the Associated Press that the fighting south of Kirkuk had caused "lots of casualties". He alleged that pro-government forces had also "burnt lots of houses and killed many people" in Tuz Khurmatu, 75km south of Kirkuk, and Daquq.  There was no way of verifying the reports, but a doctor at a hospital in Tuz Khurmatu told AFP news agency that two people had been killed by artillery fire.

The US-led coalition against IS, which supports both Iraqi government and Peshmerga forces, said it had so far only seen "co-ordinated movements" by military vehicles around Kirkuk and "not attacks".

A limited exchange of fire before dawn was the result of a "misunderstanding and not deliberate as two elements attempted to link up under limited visibility conditions", a statement added.

 

Iraqi forces capture key sites from Kurds

London: Iraqi government forces have captured key installations outside the disputed city of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters, reports BBC. A military statement said units had taken control of the K1 military base, the Baba Gurgur oil and gas field, and a state-owned oil companys offices. Baghdad said the Peshmerga had withdrawn without fighting, but clashes were reported south of Kirkuk. The operation was launched a month after the Kurdistan Region held a controversial independence referendum. Iraqs prime minister has said the vote - in which residents of Kurdish-controlled areas, including Kirkuk, overwhelmingly backed secession - was unconstitutional. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insisted it was legitimate. US officials said they were engaged with all parties in Iraq to de-escalate tension. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement that the operation in Kirkuk was necessary to protect the unity of the country, which was in danger of partition because of the referendum. We call upon all citizens to co-operate with our heroic armed forces, which are committed to our strict directives to protect civilians in the first place, and to impose security and order, and to protect state installations and institutions, he added. Earlier, the Iraqi military announced that elite units had been re-deployed at the K1 base, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the city of Kirkuk, and that other troops had taken control of the nearby Leylan area, the Baba Gurgur oilfield, and the headquarters of the North Oil Company. The military also said troops had taken control of a military airport, police station, power plant and several industrial areas, as well as key bridges, roads, junctions. The Kurdistan Region Security Council accused Baghdad of launching an unprovoked attack and said the Peshmerga would continue to defend Kurdistan, its peoples and interests. Peshmerga had destroyed five US-made Humvees used by the Popular Mobilisation, a paramilitary force dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, it added. Peshmerga spokesman Brig Gen Bahzad Ahmed told the Associated Press that the fighting south of Kirkuk had caused lots of casualties. He alleged that pro-government forces had also burnt lots of houses and killed many people in Tuz Khurmatu, 75km south of Kirkuk, and Daquq. There was no way of verifying the reports, but a doctor at a hospital in Tuz Khurmatu told AFP news agency that two people had been killed by artillery fire. The US-led coalition against IS, which supports both Iraqi government and Peshmerga forces, said it had so far only seen co-ordinated movements by military vehicles around Kirkuk and not attacks. A limited exchange of fire before dawn was the result of a misunderstanding and not deliberate as two elements attempted to link up under limited visibility conditions, a statement added.