Urgent – Maliki’s office: Peshmerga continue deployment in Kirkuk, Khanaqin

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Office of the Commanding General of the Iraqi Armed Forces revealed that “The Kurdish Peshmerga forces continued deployment in Kirkuk and Khanaqin cities accompanied by heavy weapons.”

The Office reported in statement received by IraqiNews.com on Thursday ”In spite of all efforts to calm down the situation and the commitment of our forces to their positions according to orders of the leadership of the Commanding General, yet, the Peshmerga forces kept gathering and deploying in Kirkuk and Khanaqin cities,” pointing out that ”The Kurdish forces are armed with artillery and some of these forces were in civilian uniform.”

The relations between Erbil and Baghdad witnesses tensions nowadays on the background of Tuz Khormato incident which was, according to security sources, clashes between the forces of Dijla Operations Command and Kurdish figure’s bodyguards.

The office of the Commanding General of the IAF, the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, warned the Kurdish forces of Kurdistan Region from changing their locations or approaching the federal armed forces. \