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| Iraq conflict: Peshmerga 'deadline to leave Kirkuk' passes | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A deadline allegedly set by Iraq's central government for Kurdish fighters to withdraw from key sites in the disputed city of Kirkuk has passed. | |
| Kurdish security officials said the deadline had been set for early on Sunday but Iraqi authorities denied it. | |
| Some reports now suggest the deadline has been extended by 24 hours. | |
| Both sides have sent troops to Kirkuk and brief clashes have already erupted between Kurds and Shia militia backing the government. | |
| Peshmerga fighters say they are preparing to defend positions in the city against possible attack by Iraqi forces. | |
| Tensions have been on the rise since Kurds held a referendum on independence last month, which Iraq called illegal. | Tensions have been on the rise since Kurds held a referendum on independence last month, which Iraq called illegal. |
| The Iraqi parliament asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kirkuk and other disputed areas after the official referendum results - which overwhelmingly backed independence - were proclaimed. | The Iraqi parliament asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kirkuk and other disputed areas after the official referendum results - which overwhelmingly backed independence - were proclaimed. |
| The referendum was held in three autonomous provinces of Iraqi Kurdistan, but also in nearby Kurdish-held areas including Kirkuk. | The referendum was held in three autonomous provinces of Iraqi Kurdistan, but also in nearby Kurdish-held areas including Kirkuk. |
| The province, which bears the same name as the city, is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but Kirkuk has large Arab and Turkmen populations. | The province, which bears the same name as the city, is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but Kirkuk has large Arab and Turkmen populations. |
| On Saturday, there was a brief outbreak of fighting near Kirkuk, with each side blaming the other, reports the BBC's Orla Guerin in Iraq. | On Saturday, there was a brief outbreak of fighting near Kirkuk, with each side blaming the other, reports the BBC's Orla Guerin in Iraq. |
| Mr Abadi said last week he would accept disputed areas being governed by a "joint administration" and that he did not want an armed confrontation. | Mr Abadi said last week he would accept disputed areas being governed by a "joint administration" and that he did not want an armed confrontation. |
| On Thursday, the prime minister and the Iraqi military reiterated that they had no plans for a military operation in Kirkuk and were focused on recapturing the last IS foothold in Iraq near the border with Syria. | On Thursday, the prime minister and the Iraqi military reiterated that they had no plans for a military operation in Kirkuk and were focused on recapturing the last IS foothold in Iraq near the border with Syria. |
| But since then there has been a major build up of Iraqi forces around the city and Kurdish officials say the Peshmerga have been ordered to defend their positions "at any cost". | But since then there has been a major build up of Iraqi forces around the city and Kurdish officials say the Peshmerga have been ordered to defend their positions "at any cost". |
| The oil-rich Kirkuk province is claimed by both the Kurds and Baghdad, though the two sides were recently united in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group. | |
| Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when IS militants swept across northern Iraq and the army collapsed. |