Bloomberg By Khalid Al Ansary 10/15/2017
Forces had earlier seized oil refineries and military base
Oil output halted at two areas in Kirkuk, official says
Iraqi forces said they had seized the headquarters of Kirkuk’s provincial administration on Monday, as the government in Baghdad dramatically escalated its efforts to prevent a Kurdish state in the country’s north. The offensive helped push oil to a two-week high.
The commander of federal police units in the disputed city said in a statement that his forces had entered the building, triggering celebrations from non-Kurdish residents. Earlier the army and its allied militias had taken oil fields, a refinery and military base from Kurdish control in an unexpected advance, according to state-run Iraqiya television. Some Kurdish fighters -- known as the peshmerga -- were reported to have withdrawn from their positions in coordination with the Iraqi troops, rather than defend them.
The military offensive, which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had vowed to avoid, follows three weeks of escalating tensions since the Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood on Sept. 25. Iran and Turkey, both with their own restive Kurdish minorities, have led regional opposition to the referendum. On Monday, Turkey said it was shutting airspace for flights to and from the Kurdish region and would transfer control of a key border gate to authorities in Baghdad.
More:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-15/kurdish-oil-keeps-flowing-despite-baghdad-s-threats-over-kirkuk
