Baghdad sends military to take control of Kirkuk from Kurds

[SoLongAtlas]

Baghdad has sent in the troops to take Kirkuk, has taken "control over several key Kurdish Peshmerga-held positions near Kirkuk and continue their advance, Reuters reports, citing the Iraqi military."

https://www.rt.com/news/406799-iraqi-kirkuk-peshmerga-offensive-live-updates/

Other sites reporting the Iraqi forces have taken major oil fields and airbases. Peshmerga has said that Iraq taking Kirkuk is a declaration of war.

Here we go again. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English Iraqi dead!"

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You know, Iraq could have at least finished expelling ISIS from their territory before they went after the Kurds, but nooooo.

[SoLongAtlas]

Kirkuk has fallen to Iraqi forces.

https://twitter.com/DeelanSirwan/status/919925129508945921

Also, reports via Twitter and elsewhere that Qasem Soleimani (IRGC) is on the ground as an advisor to the Iraqi forces (figures).

[Nhoj]

You know, Iraq could have at least finished expelling ISIS from their territory before they went after the Kurds, but nooooo.

They did wait till ISIS was removed from the KRG border. Only two cities in anbar remain in ISIS hands.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Ungrateful and disgusting. The Iraqis were torn like paper by ISIS while the Kurds stood bravely and strongly, and that's how they repay them.

[kelestian]

Situaion is very complicated. There are two major clans in Iraqi Kurdistan - Barzani and Talabani, Barzani controll north part of region, and Talabani south part. Now Talabani and their party PUC reached an agreement with Baghdad and retreated from Kirkuk. Right now Kurds are leaving their positions without big fights.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Yeah, KDK overplayed their hand IMO. Independence is pretty transparently an attempt by a wannabe Erdogan to have his own nation to play with, having already put his cronies in charge of all profitable enterprises: saner heads should prevail before there is a second Kurdish Civil War (and it's not like Barzani played nice during the first Kurdish Civil War, being all matey with Saddam "Kurd Killer" Hussein).

Of course, the best hope is that some kind of PYD operation erupts in Iraqi Kurdistan and ends the tribal era once and for all. Bonus points would be that it would trigger Turkey.

[Bismarck]

More proof that the Middle East is a complete cluster finks. I support an independent Kurdish state. I know it's a more complicated situation than that, but I don't see how anyone could be rooting for the Iraqi government here.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

More proof that the Middle East is a complete cluster finks. I support an independent Kurdish state. I know it's a more complicated situation than that, but I don't see how anyone could be rooting for the Iraqi government here.

I support the good Kurds, who oppose Barzani's manic quest of self-enrichment.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

major chaos within Kurdistan atm. Both PUK and Gorran headquaters have been looted and burnt reportedly by KDP allied forces. Barzani has stepped down with some barbed words for the opposition, claiming both Gorran and PUK committed high treason - so that will be an end of an era.

[Kingpoleon]

Why has no anti-ISIS treaty been signed yet?