Iraqi Forces Say They’ve Taken Control of Kirkuk From Kurds

[PsychedelicLiz]

[QUOTE]Iraqi government troops entered the city of Kirkuk on Monday without a fight, taking up positions inside the city after Kurdish fighters withdrew, the Iraqi military command said.

Iraqi commanders ordered the operation after a contentious independence vote on Sept. 25 in the oil-rich Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Baghdad, Washington and most international leaders condemned the referendum.

The referendum significantly increased tensions in the region, with Iraq and the United States warning that it would effectively break up the country, undermine the fight against Islamic State militants, foment ethnic divisions and create instability.

Military commanders in Baghdad said their troops had taken control of an industrial district on the western edge of Kirkuk, as well as a power plant and refinery adjacent to the oil fields outside the city. The military command also said that government forces had secured control of a military airport west of the city.[/QUOTE]

[url]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/world/middleeast/kirkuk-iraq-kurds.html[/url]

Fucked up posted this before reading the other one, though this seems to be a serious escalation.