URGENT: Kurdish forces seize oil refineries, oil fields of Kirkuk & Bai Hassan

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Oil Ministry confirmed on Friday that Kurdish Peshmerga forces had seized the plants that produce crude oil in the fields of Kirkuk and Bai Hassan, warning of the danger of this irresponsible behavior, which it considers an encroachment on the Constitution, the national wealth and a disregard for the Federal authority.

A press release from the Iraqi Oil Ministry received by IraqiNews.com, said that “the oil ministry condemns strongly what was done by the groups of Kurdish Peshmerga forces to seize control of power plants to produce crude oil in the fields of Kirkuk and Bai Hassan dawn of Friday.”

The statement added that “The ministry confirms that the armed forces of the Peshmerga, accompanied by a number of civilians entered the stations of the crude oil production in the fields of Kirkuk and Bai Hassan dawn today after the expulsion of workers in those locations.”

The ministry appealed to the “wise men from the Kurds about the necessity to understand the seriousness of the situation and to instruct those people responsible for this uncontrolled action to withdraw the armed force from these oilfields and evacuate immediately to avoid serious consequences,” according to a statement.