Iraqi forces seize oil fields in Kirkuk

This image made from a video shows Iraqi soldiers in the Qatash area towards Kirkuk gas plant, south of Kirkuk, Iraq, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. Iraqi state media say federal troops have entered disputed territories occupied by the nation’s Kurds. The move comes three years after Kurdish militias seized the areas outside their autonomous region to defend against an advance by the Islamic State extremist group. (APTN via AP)

KIRKUK, Iraq—Iraqi government forces have moved into the disputed city of Kirkuk and seized oil fields and other infrastructure on Monday, following last month’s Kurdish independence vote.

Federal forces have moved into the disputed northern city of Kirkuk as Kurdish forces have pulled out.

The Pentagon is declining to blame the Iraqi government for the violence in Kirkuk, and instead is urging the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish authorities to negotiate their differences.

A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Rob Manning, says the confrontation underway in the Iraqi city is a “distractor” to the U.S. goal of destroying the Islamic State group, and that Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga troops should not be “going at each other.”

Asked about U.S. Sen. John McCain’s statement that the Iraqi government faces severe consequences for what he called its misuse of U.S. military equipment to attack Kurdish forces, Manning said he could not comment beyond saying Washington wants both sides to engage in dialogue. He said U.S. commanders in Iraq are trying to help mediate.

Turkey says it supports the operation conducted by the Iraq government forces which moved in to the disputed city of Kirkuk and seized oil fields and other infrastructure following last month’s Kurdish independence vote.

Speaking to reporters at the end of a Cabinet meeting Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag however, described the operation as “too late” in coming.

“There is an attack against Iraq’s territorial integrity, against its sovereignty rights, its political unity and constitution,” Bozdag said. “We think this step designed to expel this attack is a very important one.”

Earlier, Bozdag announced Turkey was closing its airspace to flights to and from the Iraqi Kurdish region. /jpv