The U.S.-led coalition says a cease-fire has been reached between Baghdad and Iraq's Kurdish minority, temporarily halting clashes that followed a controversial vote on Kurdish independence last month.

Col. Ryan Dillon says the coalition was informed of the cease-fire Friday morning and coalition officials are encouraging both sides to ensure "it's not just temporary."

Clashes broke out between Baghdad-led forces and Kurdish forces known as the Peshmerga earlier this month when Iraq's military retook the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

The Kurdish referendum on support for independence held in September stoked tensions between Irbil and Baghdad and well as across the region.

The cease-fire comes after more than two weeks of largely low-level clashes and warnings from the coalition that the dispute was distracting from the IS fight.