Iraqi government troops have taken control of the northern city of Kirkuk amid tensions over Kurdish secession bid.

The Iraqi government has seized control of Kirkuk from the Kurds, which took just a day to take charge of the multi-ethnic city and the oil fields surrounding it. Kurdish forces have since rapidly withdrawn from several contested cities and towns, leaving Iraqi forces and their Shia militia allies in charge.

Last month, voters in Iraq's northern Kurdish region as well as some disputed areas overwhelmingly voted to secede. But Baghdad, as well as neighbours Iran and Turkey, has fiercely opposed the move.

So what will this mean for Iraq's Kurds?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Mowaffak al-Rubaie - ex-Iraqi National Security adviser and current member of parliament for Baghdad

Karokh Khoshnaw - Kurdish political analyst and Professor, Byte Institute

Tallha Abdulrazaq - Researcher, University of Exeter's Strategy and Security Institute

Source: Al Jazeera News