A senior military official from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq announced that Kurdish Peshmerga forces blocked two main roads between their region and the city of Mosul, which is under government control, on Thursday, October 20, 'in response to military movements by Iraq.' The unnamed official told AFP, 'After observing an increase in the deployment of Iraqi forces at the front lines of the Peshmerga, we took precautionary measures and blocked the main roads from Erbil and Duhok towards Mosul with sandbags on Thursday.' Meanwhile, hours later, the same news agency reported that, according to 'a senior official from the Kurdistan Region,' these sandbags were removed and the roads were reopened due to the 'return to normalcy.' This action follows the Kurdistan Regional Government's announcement on Wednesday evening about the preparations and 'readiness' of the central government's forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) of Iraq to attack Kurdish forces from the southwest of Kirkuk and northern Mosul. However, on the other hand, according to Reuters, a spokesperson for the Iraqi army denied plans to attack Kurdish forces. The spokesperson stated that the intention of the Iraqi forces' preparations and logistics was solely to attack ISIS militants 'in the border area of western Iraq' near Syria. Meanwhile, Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, also ruled out the use of central government military power against the autonomous Kurdistan region on Thursday. According to the German news agency, Mr. Abadi stated, 'We will not use our army against our own people, and we will not wage war against the Kurdish people'; he also promised to 'maintain the integrity of the country and implement the constitution.' These reports come less than two weeks after a Kurdistan Region official stated on Monday, October 2, that Iranian and Iraqi military forces had begun joint military exercises near the borders of this region. Following the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region, tensions have been escalating between Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of the region. The Kurdistan Region's High Commission for the Referendum and Elections announced on Wednesday, October 5, that over 92% of eligible voters in last week's referendum voted in favor of the independence of Kurdistan. However, the holding of this referendum provoked anger from Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, with Haider al-Abadi stating that he does not recognize it and is calling for the annulment of the results. Meanwhile, the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq is an oil-rich city of strategic importance to Iraq; on the other hand, the Kurds consider this city their own, and the independence referendum was also held there. Now the Kurdistan Region claims that Iraqi government and non-government forces are preparing for battle with Kurdish forces. The Security Council of this autonomous region tweeted, which a government official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday, stating, 'We are receiving dangerous messages indicating that Iraqi forces, including federal forces and Hashd al-Shaabi, are preparing for a major attack on Kurdistan.' While Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, stated last week that his government is trying to avoid any confrontation with the Kurds, according to Reuters, Hashd al-Shaabi leaders have repeatedly threatened to drive the Kurds out of Kirkuk. In response to the Kurdistan Region's tweet, a spokesperson for the Iraqi army said, 'We are preparing for battle in al-Qaim; we are not seeking any confrontation except with ISIS.' The area around the al-Qaim border point in western Iraq is the last area still under the control of ISIS militants or the Islamic State group. Following the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region, the three countries of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey have continuously spoken of sanctions and 'retaliatory measures.' In this context, upon returning from a one-day trip to Iran, the President of Turkey announced on Thursday, October 5, that his country, along with Iran and Iraq, will decide on closing the oil taps from northern Iraq to Kurdistan. In this regard, Reuters reported on Thursday that Turkey announced it would gradually close its border crossings with northern Iraq in coordination with the governments of Iraq and Iran. Binali Yildirim, the Prime Minister of Turkey, is scheduled to travel to Baghdad on Sunday to discuss regional issues and meet with his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi.
Concerns of Iraqi Kurds Over Baghdad's 'Military Movements'; Abadi: We Will Not Attack
Tensions are rising between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the central government in Baghdad due to military movements and preparations for potential conflict. Kurdish forces have blocked roads in response to perceived threats, while Iraqi officials deny any plans to attack. This situation is significant as it follows a controversial independence referendum that has angered neighboring countries.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Kurdish Peshmerga forces blocked roads to Mosul in response to perceived military threats from Iraqi forces, but later reopened them as tensions eased. Iraqi officials denied plans to attack Kurdish forces, asserting their focus on combating ISIS.
- Kurdish forces took precautionary measures by blocking roads due to military movements by Iraqi forces.
- Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Abadi, denied any intentions to attack the Kurdish region.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum that was overwhelmingly in favor of independence, leading to increased tensions with the Iraqi central government and neighboring countries.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%