The Iraqi army has taken several strategic Kurdish positions in Kirkuk, in a dramatic escalation of tensions following a controversial independence referendum.

Forces seized the provincial government headquarters in Kirkuk on Monday, pulling down the Kurdish flag and leaving the Iraqi flag flying in accordance with orders from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi.

Troops said Kurdish forces abandoned their positions as the advance, which began late on Sunday night, took control of key targets, including industrial areas and a military airport, prompting civilians to flee in terror.

Activity was halted in the region's oilfields but senior Baghdad officials said the state's "brave forces will regain control of all Kirkuk oilfields" to "restart production immediately".

Image: Members of the Iraqi federal forces enter oil fields in Kirkuk

In a statement on Facebook, Mr al Abadi wrote that the offensive was launched because the country was "in danger of partition" following a Kurdish referendum which voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence from Iraq.


A statement from the Kurdistan Region Security Council said the Kurdish Peshmerga forces "will continue to defend Kurdistan, its people and interests", describing the offensive as "an unprovoked attack".

In Kirkuk city, which has a diverse population of more than one million people, ethnic Turkmen celebrated the arrival of the troops, while the Kurdish population expressed anger that they had been unable to halt the advance of the Iraqi military.

Iraqi Kurds vote for independence from Iraq

Renad Mansour, a research fellow at Chatham House, said that the Kurdish leadership would likely seek to begin negotiations, but that the situation was "precarious".

"There's a lot of confusion. It's chaotic - you have volunteers emerging taking up guns and going to fight," he said. "A simple unintended action could ignite something."

Mr Mansour said the offensive could be viewed as a consequence of September's referendum, which enraged Baghdad and prompted the government to impose a regional ban on international flights.

Image: Both Iraqi and Kurdish forces are armed and backed by the US

Kirkuk has been under the control of Kurdish Peshmerga forces since 2014, when the hold of Iraqi authorities on the region collapsed as Islamic State advanced across the region.

But the city, which lies outside of the Kurdish autonomous region, is also claimed by Baghdad and Iraqi authorities have demanded it be returned to Iraqi federal control.

Both Kurdish and Iraqi armed forces are backed and armed by the US - and the now clashing sides had been fighting side by side in a joint offensive against IS in Mosul.