Reuters reported that Iraqi army units have seized positions in and around Kirkuk, a major oil city that's dominated by the country's Kurdish people, who voted for independence last month. Iraq's U.S.-trained Counter Terrorism Service has taken control of the provincial government headquarters in Kirkuk, and the Iraqi flag is flying over disputed areas, Reuters reported. The Iraqi national army also took over the North Oil Company, a refinery in Kirkuk, oil fields and an air base, according to news agencies.
"The attack is a clear declaration of war against the people of the Kurdistan Region," the General Command of the Peshmerga Forces said in a statement. The Kurds are a separate ethnic group from the Arabs and are primarily Sunni Muslims. The Iraqi army is dominated by Arabs who are Shiite Muslims. In a Friday research note, risk consulting firm Eurasia Group warned that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi "is increasingly committed to re-establishing central government control over the territories contested by Baghdad" and the Kurds. Iraq is OPEC's the second biggest oil producer. Kurdish-controlled areas of Iraq are among the most productive in the country and contain much of its energy infrastructure.