US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that Washington is working to reduce tensions between Iraqi federal and Kurdish forces, urging them to remain focused on the war against jihadists. Iraqi forces on Friday retook positions in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk that had been controlled by Kurdish peshmerga fighters since 2014, amid a bitter row with the Kurds over a referendum on independence held last month. Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region gained or solidified control over northern territory including Kirkuk that is claimed by both it and Baghdad after federal forces fled during a devastating IS offensive in June 2014.
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2yq4wkg
No comments