Kurdish Peshmerga forces withdrew from the town, located on the Zab river, after battling the advancing Iraqi troops with machine guns, mortars and rocket propelled grenades, Iraqi security sources said. The Iraqi central government forces have advanced into Kirkuk province largely unopposed as most Peshmerga forces withdrew without a fight. The fighting at Altun Kupri marked only the second instance of significant violent resistance by the Kurds in Kirkuk province. Iraqi forces are seeking to reestablish Baghdad’s authority over territory which the Kurdish forces occupied outside the official boundaries of their autonomous region, mostly seized since 2014 in the course of the war on Islamic State militants. Kurdish Peshmerga moved into Kirkuk without a fight in 2014, taking over positions left by Iraqi army as it fled in the face of Islamic State militants.

Source: bd News24 October 20, 2017 11:15 UTC