Iraqi forces said Wednesday they had achieved their objectives in a lightning operation that saw them sweep through disputed Kurdish-held territory in a punishing riposte to an independence vote last month. “Security has been restored in sectors of Kirkuk, including Dibis, Al-Multaqa, and the Khabbaz and Bai Hassan North and South oil fields,” the federal government’s Joint Operations Command said. The 48-hour operation saw Kurdish forces almost entirely confined to their longstanding three-province autonomous region in the north. It dealt a body blow to the region’s finances by depriving it of the output from the Kirkuk oil fields which had made up much of its exports. The Kurdish Peshmerga are at the forefront of the campaign against Islamic State and had significantly expanded their influence to bring the oil region under their control.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 18, 2017 12:45 UTC