Iraq says PKK presence in Kirkuk amounts to 'declaration of war'

The Iraqi government accused Kurdish authorities of bringing militants from Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers Party PKK to the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk
Iraqi forces rest on the road as they drive towards peshmerga positions on October 15, 2017, on the southern outskirts of Kirkuk.
Sunday, 15 October 2017 19:56

The Iraqi government said Sunday that militants from Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants were among Kurdish forces in a standoff with its army in the disputed oil province of Kirkuk, in what it said amounted to a "declaration of war".

In a statement published after a National Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and attended by top military and security commanders, the government said it will seek to impose its authority over Kirkuk and other disputed areas.