Iraqi military launched operation in Kirkuk

By Idris Okuducu

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) - The Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKBY) Security Agency announced that Iraqi security forces began to take military bases and oil wells from Peshmerga on Monday.

A statement on the Twitter account of the Security Agency said that Iraqi forces and the pro-government Hashd al-Shaabi militia started at Tuz Khormato which is in the south of Kirkuk to take full action.

Additionally according to the statement the purpose of the launched operation is to enter the city of Kirkuk to take the ‘K1 Military Base’ and oil wells which are under the control of the Peshmerga.

In June 2014, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces took a number of strategic positions in Kirkuk when the Daesh terrorist group swept through northern Iraq and the army collapsed.

Tension has been on the rise between Erbil and Baghdad since last month when the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdish region.

The Sept. 25 illegitimate referendum has faced strong opposition from most regional and international actors -- including the U.S., Turkey, and Iran -- who warned that the poll would distract from Iraq’s fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.

The Iraqi parliament has approved a set of measures against the Kurdish region, including the deployment of federal forces in disputed areas, including Kirkuk.