KIRKUK, Iraq: The council in Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed region of northern Iraq under Baghdad’s control, voted on Tuesday to take part in next month’s Kurdish independence referendum, councillors said.
The central government in Baghdad is strongly opposed to Iraqi Kurdistan’s planned Sept. 25 referendum, which is non-binding but could lead to independence.
Kirkuk, an oil-rich province made up of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, is under Baghdad’s control but is claimed by the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region.
In Tuesday’s vote, 22 of the 24 present councillors in the 41-member Kirkuk council voted in favor of holding the referendum, said councillor Hala Nur Eddine.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Kirkuk governor Najm Eddine Karim described the vote as a “historic event.”
But a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi denounced the vote as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
“Provinces that don’t belong to the autonomous region (of Kurdistan) can’t impose decisions without the federal government’s approval, and Kirkuk is one of these regions,” said Saad Al-Hadithi.
The plans to hold the referendum have been criticized by neighboring Turkey and Iran, which have large Kurdish minority populations.
The Turkish Foreign Mnistry said in a statement that the Kirkuk’s council decision was “another link in a chain of mistakes” and “once more a serious violation of the Iraqi constitution.”
There are also doubts about the vote among the five million Iraqi Kurds, with some calling for it to be postponed.
The US has made the same demand, saying the referendum could distract from the fight against Daesh by stoking tensions between the Kurds, and Arabs and Turkmen.
The dispute over Kirkuk is seen as a reason for delays to the launch of an Iraqi-Kurdish military offensive aimed at recapturing the city of Hawija from Daesh.
Kirkuk votes to take part in Kurdish referendum
Kirkuk votes to take part in Kurdish referendum
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
