KIRKUK, Iraq: Iraqi forces seized a key military base, an airport and an oil field from Kurdish fighters on Monday in disputed Kirkuk province in a major operation sparked by a controversial independence referendum.
The rapid advance, which follows weeks of soaring tensions between two US allies in the battle against the Islamic State group, aims to retake oil and military sites that Kurdish forces took over during the fightback against the Jihadists.
The US-led coalition against IS urged the two sides to "avoid escalatory actions" and to focus on fighting the extremists, who are on the verge of losing their last strongholds in Iraq. Thousands of residents were seen fleeing Kurdish districts of Kirkuk city, heading in buses and cars towards the autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. "We’re leaving because we’re scared there will be clashes" in the ethnically mixed city of 850,000 people, said 51-year-old Chounem Qader.