Iraqi Forces Take Control of Kirkuk

Iraqi government forces seized the city of Kirkuk on Monday in a swift operation in response to the independence referendum held in the Kurdistan Region. This operation changed the balance of power in the area. According to Reuters, an armored column from Iraq's counter-terrorism units, trained by the U.S., captured government buildings in Kirkuk just one day after the operation began on Monday afternoon. Several armored vehicles reached these buildings and positioned themselves around them. They lowered the flag of the Kurdistan Region and raised the Iraqi flag in its place. So far, neither side has released casualty figures from this operation. However, a relief organization active in Kirkuk reports that several Kurdish Peshmerga and several members of the Iraqi government forces were killed during last night’s battles on the southern outskirts of Kirkuk. Some Kurdish residents of Kirkuk, which has a population of about one million, have fled the city in fear of retaliatory actions by Iraqi forces. The Turkmen population of Kirkuk, who opposed Kurdish control of the city, celebrated. Reuters reports that a man riding a motorcycle with a blue and white Turkmen flag at the celebration said, 'Today should be declared a public holiday. We are very happy to be rid of Barzani.' Haider al-Abadi ordered that Iraqi flags be raised in Kirkuk and other disputed areas between the central government and the Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi central government claims that the operation proceeded without any resistance and has asked the Peshmerga and Kurdish armed forces to cooperate in maintaining peace. In contrast, the Peshmerga stated that 'Baghdad will pay a heavy price for waging war against the people of Kurdistan.' The U.S. government has called on both sides to maintain calm and avoid an all-out conflict between government forces and Kurdish forces. The operation to seize Kirkuk, which began last night, is the most decisive action by the Iraqi central government against Kurdish efforts for independence. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Kurdish regions have enjoyed autonomy and are governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government. Kirkuk, which is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in Iraq, lies outside the official borders of the Kurdistan Region. However, the Kurds consider it a major center of Iraqi Kurdistan and claim that during Saddam Hussein's regime, Kurdish residents were forcibly expelled to control the oil resources surrounding the city. Iraqi state television reported that government forces have also seized Tuz Khurmatu, which has been a center of recent armed conflicts between Kurdish forces and Turkmen and Shiite militias. The Peshmerga command stated, 'The Abadi government is responsible for starting a war against the people of Kurdistan and will pay a heavy price for this.' The U.S. government, which supports both Iraqi government forces and Kurdish armed forces in the fight against the Islamic State group, has urged all parties involved to quickly end armed conflicts and restore calm. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad stated, 'The main enemy of Iraq is the group known as the Islamic State, and we urge all parties to focus on fighting this group and liberating the country from its threat.' As a result of the military operation in Kirkuk, crude oil prices increased. Production in the oil fields around Kirkuk has been halted, but the Iraqi government has announced that production will soon resume in the area.