Iraqi battle tanks enter Kirkuk city. Click to see the full-size image
The Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) have been rapidly developing momentum in the countryside of Kirkuk city amid sporadic clashes with the Kurdish Peshmerga.
The Peshmerga is a military force of the separatist Kurdistan Regional Government that seeks to turn the Kurdistan Region into an independent state and include the oil-rich province of Kirkuk into this entity.
The army and the PMU launched its advance in the area on late October 14. Since then, government forces have captured the villages of Kifri and Tuz-Khormato, K1 Airbase, North Oil Company in the Kirkuk countryside and entered Kirkuk city itself.
Pro-Kurdish sources say that the Peshmerga is still in control of Bai Hassan and Havan oil fields.
Iraqi troops are near North Oil Company
Clashes between the sides are reported south and southwest of the city.
The Iraqi army is entering Kirkuk city amid the clashes:
Irak ordusu kerkük içlerine doğru ilerlemeye devam ediyor.. pic.twitter.com/Q3fWePdCJl
— Son Kale Türkiye?? (@SonKaleTurkiye2) 16 October 2017
The government advance is led by the 9th Armoured Division and the so-called Golden Division.
Major General Fadhil Jamil al-Barwari, an ethnic Kurd, is one of the commanders of the government operation in Kirkuk
According to the KRG-linked Kurdistan 24 TV channel, some Peshmerga units remain in the city. The KRG media is actively using the so-called Iranian card in order to gain attention of the mainstream media and the US-led block that has a very complicated relations with this country.
Volunteers join #Peshmerga to defend Kirkuk as #Iraq|i forces and #Iran|ian-backed Shiite militia attack #Kirkuk.https://t.co/24narJPqrm pic.twitter.com/d4iBfs4uL3
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) 16 October 2017
The Peshmerga Command has issued a statement saying that this is “war”.
#BREAKING: Peshmerga forces command issue statement following Iraqi army entry into #Kirkuk, saying “this is a war against the Kurds.” pic.twitter.com/iUX0nT6HQ5
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) 16 October 2017
Some pro-Kurdish sources are in panic and are calling on the US-led coalition to support the democratic authorities of the KRG. The propaganda campaign against the Iraqi government will likely take a full-scale in the coming hours.
Local Turkoman militias defected to the PMU:
Click to see the full-size image
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement that he is fulfilling his constitutional duty and protects “the unity of the country” that has faced the threat of division while the Iraqi government faces the threat of ISIS.
People flee Kirkuk. Click to see the full-size image
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has released a statement saying that Trkey supports the Iraqi government’s moves to restore peace and stability in the country, including Kirkuk. The statement warned the KRG that it would be held responsible for allowing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to penetrate Kirkuk city.
“Non-existing” [according to the KRG] PKK members are preparing for clashes with the Iraqi army in Kirkuk’s urban area:
A look at Kirkuk Airport:
A firefight in Kirkuk city:
More photos from the area:
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well done iraqis …a great morale booster for the syria and her true allies … this is a clear message to sdf what will be in store for them
The Pesmerga have forged an alliance with ISIS in Kirkuk and elsewhere. Here is a footage from Kirkuk. http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/video-rare-footage-shows-peshmerga-isis.html
I am glad iraq has taken over.yet ,how did it happen? Us still pays iraqs bills and still in name at least controls iraq.are iraq gov shia so strong that they can thumb their nose at their uncle sam master?
Thank you very much.
Seems like a bad year for Separatists regions/movements in 2017
let’s hope next year will be even worse
Crimea is still free, as is Donbass.
True. But they at least had a good reason to split from Ukraine.
This is the correct approach to the Kurdish issue. Put some pressure on them before their authority is established. Same thing must be done in Syria as well. I understand that the fronts the legitimate armies are fighting are less in Iraq compared to Syria, but same thing must be done there in order for Kurds to realize they do not have the upper hand in the area. Let’s just hope the casualties will only be radicals and not common people.
one united iraq http://www.moonofalabama.org/
The Kurds in Iraq’s autonomous region has been very irresponsible.
They knew Iraq’s government would go to war to retake Kirkuk, if they held that referendum.
No country or government anywhere in the world, would walk away from the oil that lies beneath Kirkuk.
No doubt, the Kurds in Iraq’s autonomous region triggered this war.
They should be held responsible for this.
I look beyond the 60 Minutes-backed Kurds and the Euro-trash backing them to an Assyrian and Aramaean revival and resurgence in Syria and Iraq. And I look forward to the expansion of Hezbollah throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Gratz Iraq. Smash these Murican whores into the dirt.
After PUK forces retreated it appears that Iraqi/Iranian invaders have taken most of Kirkuk city, K1 & the oil fields. Thousands perhaps hundreds of thousands of Kurdish refugees fleeing Kirkuk now.
I hope they left with their shoes on.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aeeac7c0b2529a6dcc70a480fe339244d5b8ecaf364636758e4fa167b1da04ef.jpg
i suggest you go bed and moaning during this night.
have a nice dream..
Are they fleeing all the way back to the Turkish border? Let me know when that happens. :D
Check out @jenanmoussa thread. She is stuck in traffic going to Erbil.
The irony is that Abadi/Iran have tactics will weaken if not destroy the Iran friendly PUK that controlled Kirkuk. So We can expect 100,000s of IraqI Kurd to join PKK after abysmal defense by PUK & KRG. At least PKK went to the fight, when PUK & KRG ran away.
PKK ran as well. 0 casulties from PKK. Kirkuk is completely captured right now.
PKK ran to the fight and tried to organize a resistance. Plenty of clips showing PKK attempting to rally Kirkuk as PUK & KRG trips drive bu them leaving town. A massive PR Coup for PKK. At least they tried when others fled.
***Ps. FASB Colonels are ordering Vodka & Caviar for their staffs in Kremlin watching Turkish & Iran influence drop with Iraqi Kurds right now. Russia has supported PKK since 1979.
More incriminating evidence for PKK. They fight a legitimate government in country which is not even theirs. We can call it an invasion or terror act, whichever you prefer. Whatever it is, it’s not insurgency or even a rebellion.
If I am Putin, then I am giving a promotion and a palace at Sochi to 1st FASB Colonel savvy enough to send 3 container ships of gold & heavy weapons to Pkk via Ypg today so Iraqi Civil War starts this weekend driving price of oil above $80.
***Russia has sponsored Pkk since 1979, it’s time for that bet bet to really pay off. $80 oil is worth hundreds of billions to Russia a year.
I’m overwhelmed by your reply… The sheer pressure of honesty and truth in that…
You showed me! Alas! :)
iraqi oil has no influence on price. when the war will begin against iran, that MAYBE will rise the price of oil. a little. for 2-3 weeks.
Oil price is up today over concerns about Kirkuk supply. Granted it’s not much because it’s not much production related to global demand & over short time frame. But, if you could knock 2 million Iraqi barrels off the market, then price would jump.
no, because immediately can be elevated by venezela, nigeria, etc.
hello, american anticommie. pkk are commies, your enemy.
I don’t have an enemies. And Pkk are libertarians now not communist.
hard commies, lefties. che guevara was righ wing in comparison to them. i now personally pkk members. i dont need your false teaching.
Doesn’t matter who you know. APO read Maury Bookchin and changed Pkk policy from Maoist to democratic confederalism, a former of libertarianism, back in 2000. So you are only off by about 17 years.
boy, also these years from europe came to support kurds hard lefties, neocommies. i live in reality. you not.
Supporters don’t make Policy.
For a long time, YPG was happy to get all the manpower it could–even from Western leftists who thought it was some romantic recreation of the Spanish Civil War. Almost all of them were sent home some time ago.
Most interesting was @pisspiggrandad who was going good to have a movie about him after that Rolling Stone Article.
i suggest you go bed and moaning during this night..
What rights does PKK have, when Iraqi Kurds like PUK think this area belongs to Iraq and not KRG?
Does PKK love war and killing that much? I know they love to ambush Turkish conscripts and murder them, just like their cousins in PJAK (or maybe they are the same people, just replacing their shoulder patches).
Understanding Kurdish regional politics is extemely complex. When you are talking about 35 to 50 million people speaking 4 different languages spread into 4 different countries……
But something is very simple: If they’re not Iraqi and came to Iraq to fight it’s federal government, then they’re foreign mercenaries attacking a country just like terror groups, and will be dealt with accordingly.
What makes it worse for them is that Iraqi Kurdish parties think it’s not within their rights, it’s not a good cause to fight and surrender the area to Iraqi government.
“Some pro-Kurdish sources are in panic and are calling on the US-led coalition to support the democratic authorities of the KRG. The propaganda campaign against the Iraqi government will likely take a full-scale in the coming hours.”
bwahahahaha.. this is anti climacs.. kurdish just coward.. just talk no action..
The Iraqi armed forces and PMU need to move forward to Irbil to arrest Barzani and his Zionist accomplishes for high treason.
That’s exactly how the kurds should be dealt with. I don’t know why The SAA and their allies keeps pussyfooting around them in Syria. Send the Tanks after them and their jeeps. It will take a lot of aircraft to stop the tanks. They’ll get a few but their wont be able to stop the main force.
One step at a time .
Why the US is not helping Barzani in the hour of need ??? Because is either Stay in Iraq or be Expaellle for Double Dealing ??
Why the US didn’t help Barzani ??? Because is either Stay in Iraq or Be Expelled for Double Dealing !! And the PKK is no longer “Leftist” or “Communist” !! Is a damned ZIONIST Proxy Organization !! God Job Iraqui Army !!!
First of all: the Kurds in Iraq made a big mistake with the timing of the referendum. If they had held it when ISIS was at the summit of its might, the Iraqi army would be in no position to attack. Also, they were in the spotlight of all western media, and in a positive way. If I were to prepare the Kurdistan re
It wouldn’t have mattered if they had done it earlier, the result would have been the same. Israel and the US had plans for a long time to use Iraqi Kurds as useful idiots against Iran but this was their plan B in case their plan A (ISIS) didn’t succeed. The Axis of resistance would have under no circumstances allowed an “independent” (i.e. dependent on US and Israel) breakaway region on Iraqi territory.
How they could do that back than when they were dependent on Iran to survive…you don’t know who save them in Irbil??If Iran didn’t send them weapons they would be over runed…PUK already started to withraw from Irbil when Iran came and help them…only 2 hours after Iraq Prime minister asked Iran for help..Iraq prime minister first called USA and TURKEY..than he made last call to Iran…only Iran was on ground in less than 2 hours….US came after 24 hours only with air strike but it woud be useless and too late without Iran on ground in Irbil…Turkey didn’t even consider to help…I’m talking about time when ISIS advanced in Iraq..same time you are refering…and how can they go indepndent when Peshmergas reported to Q.Solemani in that time
I see your points, BL and Lancer… And sure, nobody knows what would happen with an earlier referendum. Maybe it was never possible. However, it seems to me that about two years ago would have been their best shot. The relation between Turkey and Barzani was good enough, and Iraq had its hands full defeating ISIS. Iran seems to be the main focus of USA hate, so invasion from that side could have a lot of consequences.
This season is like… late.
Didn’t the U.S. accuse Iran of spreading ‘instability’ in Iraq and Syria since the JCPOA was signed? Yet it was the U.S. Peshmerga armed Kurds who decided to splinter off from Iraq, NOT the Shiite militias. By any objective measure, which is more destabilizing, the Kurds or the Shiite militias?
NICE COMMENT!!!