Iraqi government forces captured the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk on Monday, responding to a Kurdish vote on independence with a bold lightning strike that transforms the balance of power in the country. But the Peshmerga said Baghdad would be made to pay “a heavy price” for triggering “war on the Kurdistan people”. Kirkuk, one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in Iraq, is located just outside the autonomous Kurdish zone. The Kurdish regional government did not initially confirm the Iraqi advances, but Rudaw, a major Kurdish TV station, reported that Peshmerga had left positions south of Kirkuk. Washington works closely with both the federal forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga to fight against Islamic State.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 16, 2017 13:48 UTC