Iraqi troops started an operation to Kurdish-led positions around the city of Kirkuk, AFP reported quoting an Iraqi general.
Iraq starts operation to retake Kirkuk
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 13, ARTSAKHPRESS: “Iraqi armed forces are advancing to retake the military positions that were taken over during the events of June 2014,” the general told AFP by telephone, asking not to be identified.
Kurdish Rudaw channel said the Iraq's joint command dismissed the reports on the launch of an operation to the south from Kirkuk, saying they are still clearing the liberated areas they took from the ISIS militants as part of their Hawija operation that concluded earlier this week.
The Peshmerga General Command has said that the Iraqi army and its allied mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi have been preparing to attack areas outside the oil-rich city of Kirkuk since Thursday night with “foreign backing”, the channel reported. Kuridstan has deployed at least 6,000 Kurdish Peshmerga to the province since Thursday night.
