{"id":47620,"date":"2017-10-16T06:15:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T06:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=47620"},"modified":"2017-10-16T06:15:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T06:15:01","slug":"clashes-reported-after-iraqi-forces-advance-on-kurdish-held-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/clashes-reported-after-iraqi-forces-advance-on-kurdish-held-sites.html","title":{"rendered":"Clashes reported after Iraqi forces advance on Kurdish-held sites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clashes reported after Iraqi forces advance on Kurdish-held sites<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Clashes reported after Iraqi forces advance on Kurdish-held sites:- Clashes have been reported between Iraqi forces and Iraqi Kurdish fighters after Baghdad sent troops towards Kurdish-held sites in Kirkuk province.<\/span><\/p>\n

State TV report that Iraqi forces have taken control of some areas, including oil fields, “without fighting”, but Kurdish officials deny this.<\/span><\/p>\n

An exchange of artillery fire is said to have occurred south of Kirkuk city.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US government says it is very concerned and urged dialogue “as the best option to defuse tensions”.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tensions between the two sides over the future of Iraqi Kurdistan have been high since Iraqi Kurds voted for independence in a September referendum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baghdad wants to retake bases and oil fields taken by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in 2014 when militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) swept across northern Iraq and the army collapsed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kirkuk is not part of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crisis talks on Sunday failed to resolve the standoff as Kurdish leaders refused Iraqi government demands to reject the referendum result.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Iraqi government earlier said it had launched an operation to “secure bases” and “federal installations”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Iraqi troops were advancing alongside government-backed Shia militias south of Kirkuk city and intended to take control of oil fields and an airbase, Kurdish officials reported.<\/span><\/p>\n

An official of the Kurdistan Regional Government has told Reuters news agency that the infrastructure targeted still remains under Kurdish control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hemin Hawrami, an aide to Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, earlier said Kurdish leaders rejected the “military option” but were “ready to defend” the city against outside forces.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pentagon spokeswoman Laura Seal said the US urged against “destabilising actions that distract from the fight against [IS] and further undermine Iraq’s stability”.<\/span>
\n“We oppose violence from any party,” she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baghdad earlier accused the Kurdistan administration of deploying outside fighters to Kirkuk, including from the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it said was akin to a declaration of war.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Iraqi Kurds deny this.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Saturday, there was a brief outbreak of fighting near Kirkuk, with each side blaming the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oil-rich Kirkuk province is claimed by both the Kurds and Baghdad, though the two sides were recently united in the fight against IS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-41631697<\/span><\/p>\n

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