Iraqi government forces have taken control of the disputed city of Kirkuk, three weeks after the Kurdistan Region held a controversial independence referendum.
Thousands of Kurdish residents have reportedly fled as the Iraqi forces closed in on the centre of the city, after taking several strategic installations on the outskirts of the city.
“The Pentagon sought to play down the scale of clashes between the two sides, after forces loyal to the central government in Baghdad rapidly took over nearly all the city on Monday, and Kurdish forces abandoned their positions, retreating to nearby oilfields,” The Guardian reports.
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US commanders in the region are reportedly working to mediate between the two sides, both of which are armed and trained by the United States to assist in the fight against Islamic State.
“Coalition leaders at all levels are engaging with their counterparts in the Iraq security forces to encourage dialogue and de-escalation,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning said.
The move by the Iraqi military comes after the 25 September referendum which overwhelmingly backed Kurdish independence from Iraq.
“Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, had denounced the vote as unconstitutional. But the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insisted it was legitimate,” the BBC says.
“We call upon all citizens to co-operate with our heroic armed forces, which are committed to our strict directives to protect civilians in the first place, and to impose security and order, and to protect state installations and institutions,” Abadi said following the military operation.
