Iraqi government forces lightning raid occupied Kurdish oil fortress Kirkuk

Iraqi government on Monday captured the Kurdish control of the oil city of Kirkuk, Kurdish independent referendum to respond, and by virtue of this bold lightning attack changed the pattern of domestic forces.

Reuters in Kirkuk told reporters that less than a day after the start of the operation, the armored fleet sent by the US-trained Iraqi elite anti-terrorism forces occupied the government of the Kirkuk province.

The two sides did not provide the casualties of the operation. But a aid agency working in Kirkuk said several Kurdish fighters (Peshmerga) fighters and Iraqi army soldiers were killed in a conflict in the southern part of Kirkuk, which was the only major battle to report.

As the Iraqi army moved forward, Kurdish operators temporarily shut down about 350,000 barrels / day of oil production in two large oil fields in Kirkuk, saying the move was for security reasons. However, according to sources, shortly after the production was restored, because Iraq threatened to recover if the production, it is necessary to capture the Kurdish management of the oil field.