KIRKUK, Iraq: Iraqi forces clashed with Kurdish fighters Monday near the disputed city of Kirkuk, seizing a key military base and other territory in a major operation sparked by a controversial independence referendum.
The offensive, which follows weeks of soaring tensions between two US allies in the battle against the Daesh group, aims to retake oil fields and military bases that Kurdish forces seized during the fightback against the jihadists.
Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces exchanged artillery fire early Monday south of Kirkuk, the capital of the oil-rich province, after the launch of the operation overnight.
In a major advance, Iraq's Joint Operations Command said central government forces took control of the K1 military base northwest of the city -- the first objective of the offensive -- following the withdrawal of peshmerga fighters.
They also seized bridges, roads and an industrial zone to the southwest of Kirkuk, as well as gas facilities, a power station, a refinery and a police station, it said.
The clashes follow an armed standoff between Kurdish forces and the Iraqi army prompted by the September 25 non-binding referendum that produced a resounding "yes" for independence for the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
Baghdad has declared the referendum -- held despite international opposition -- illegal.
Crisis talks on Sunday had made little headway in resolving the standoff, which has raised fears of fresh chaos just as Daesh jihadists are on the verge of losing their last strongholds in the country.
State television announced that government troops had taken "large areas" of the province from Kurdish forces "without fighting".
Military sources on both sides however reported exchange of Katyusha rocket fire to the south of the provincial capital.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who said this week that he was "not going... to make war on our Kurdish citizens", has "given orders to armed forces to take over security in Kirkuk," state television said.
Iraqi troops will "secure bases and government facilities in Kirkuk province" the government said.
Multiple peshmerga fighters were injured in the clashes and hospitalised in Kirkuk, a local security source said.
Abadi said that members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation forces, which are dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, would stay away from Kirkuk, where there have been multiple demonstrations against their involvement in the dispute.
An AFP photographer saw columns of Iraqi troops heading towards Kirkuk from the south.
Two people were killed in artillery exchanges at Tuz Khurmatu, 75 kilometres south of Kirkuk, a doctor at a city hospital said.
On Sunday, Iraq's National Security Council said it viewed as a "declaration of war" the presence of "fighters not belonging to the regular security forces in Kirkuk", including fighters from Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
For their part the Iraqi forces have said that they have no wish to enter Kirkuk but that they wish to retake military positions and infrastructure which were under their control before their troops withdrew in the face of hostility from the jihadists.
On the fringes of the town, they used loudspeakers to call on the peshmerga to give up their positions, local sources said.
Long claimed by the Kurds as part of their historic territory, the province has emerged as the main flashpoint in the dispute.
Polling during the referendum was held not only in the three provinces of the autonomous Kurdish region but also in adjacent Kurdish-held areas, including Kirkuk, that are claimed by both Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Kurds control the city of Kirkuk and three major oil fields in the province that produce some 250,000 barrels per day, accounting for 40 percent of Iraqi Kurdistan's oil exports.
The fields would provide crucial revenue to Baghdad, which has been left cash-strapped from the global fall in oil prices and three years of battle against Daesh. Iraq is also demanding the return of a military base and a nearby airport, according to the Kurds.
Iraqi forces seize territory from Kurds in independence dispute
Iraqi forces seize territory from Kurds in independence dispute
Pakistan says ‘actively engaged’ with UK to ensure lifting of PIA ban
- UK, EU banned PIA after Pakistan probed validity of pilots’ licenses after 2020 Karachi plane crash
- PIA CEO requests “further diplomatic assistance” from Pakistan’s FM to ensure lifting of UK ban
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has assured Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Islamabad is “actively engaged” with British authorities to ensure a ban on the national carrier from operating flights to the United Kingdom (UK) is lifted at the earliest, state-run media reported this week.
PIA was banned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and United States US authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a PIA plane crash in Karachi, in May 2020, that killed 97 people.
PIA resumed flights to Europe in January after EASA lifted its four-year safety ban on the airline. The national carrier has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume its services to the country.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, met PIA’s Chief Executive Officer Amir Hayat on Saturday to discuss matters related to the airline, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said he and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are actively engaged with the UK authorities to ensure lifting of the ban at the earliest,” Radio Pakistan said.
Hayat requested Dar for “further diplomatic assistance” to ensure the resumption of PIA flights to the UK, the report said.
Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential, as Islamabad plans on privatizing the loss-making national airline.
PIA, once a respected carrier in Asia, has been supported by taxpayers for decades due to political interference, corruption and inefficiencies. Its privatization has also repeatedly collapsed amid union resistance, legal hurdles and low investor appetite.
Cash-strapped Pakistan has been attempting to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds as part of its efforts to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year.
Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million.
Officials say PIA’s cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million.
Pakistan plans to hold the final bidding to sell the PIA by October and complete its sale by the end of this year, the country’s privatization czar told Arab News this week.
Last week, five consortiums submitted expressions of interest for a 51–100 percent stake in PIA after the government restructured its balance sheet to make the deal more attractive.
5.3-magnitude quake hits central Pakistan
- US Geological Survey says quake’s epicenter located around 60 kilometers northeast of Balochistan’s Barkhan city
- Pakistan straddles boundary where Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it susceptible for quakes
ISLAMABAD: A magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck central Pakistan on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the shallow quake, which USGS reported had occurred around 3:30 am (2230 GMT) with the epicenter around 60 kilometers (37 miles) north-northeast of Barkhan, a city in Pakistan’s mountainous Balochistan province.
Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.
The region can be challenging to navigate during crisis situations — in 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people across rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts.
The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake in 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Balochistan province, Pakistan’s largest, saw a quake in 2021 that killed at least 20 people and left more than 10 injured, with landslides hampering initial rescue efforts in the remote mountainous district of Harnai.
Islamabad says 21,700 Hajj pilgrims have left for Pakistan from Madinah so far
- Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Madinah after completing their Hajj rituals in holy city of Makkah
- Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operation, which began on June 11, expected to continue till July 10
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operations are in full swing as 21,700 pilgrims have so far departed for Pakistan from Madinah, state-run media reported this week, with more expected to leave in the coming days.
Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operations on June 11 with the arrival of a Pakistan International Airlines flight, PK-732, in Islamabad carrying 307 pilgrims. The flights are expected to conclude by July 10.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday that Pakistani pilgrims are arriving in Madinah following the completion of their Hajj rituals in Makkah. It said the post-Hajj phase has begun under the supervision of the newly established Main Control Office (MCO) to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims for their return to the country.
“So far, 21,700 Pakistani pilgrims have departed for Pakistan from Madinah, with the remaining expected to leave in the coming days,” the state broadcaster said.
It said the MCO, set up in coordination with the Pakistan Hajj Mission Madinah, has been equipped with dedicated sections such as Lost and Found, Complaint Cell, Airport Team and other support services.
It said all sections are fully operational to ensure seamless facilitation for pilgrims traveling from Makkah to Madinah before their return to Pakistan.
“The office is managing pilgrims’ accommodation, food, transportation, and other logistical needs during their stay in Madinah,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, which was evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.
While the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines.
PM Sharif orders weather alerts for citizens as monsoon rains batter parts of Pakistan
- Shehbaz Sharif instructs NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces, provide all possible support
- NDMA says urban flooding is likely over the next 48 hours in the low-lying regions of southern Sindh
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages, as heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across parts of the country.
The directive came during a phone call with NDMA Chairperson Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, amid reports of flash floods, urban inundation and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain.
The provincial disaster authorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab reported the death of 31 people amid heavy rains. The downpours, which claimed at least 19 lives in KP and 12 in Punjab, also damaged dozens of homes, disrupted rail operations in the southern Sindh province and prompted the meteorological department to maintain a high alert through early next week.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif instructed the NDMA chairperson to remain in close contact with provincial governments, particularly in the country’s northern regions, and to provide all possible support,” said an official statement issued by the PM Office. “He also directed that weather warnings be proactively communicated to citizens via mobile phone messages.”
The NDMA issued its own emergency alert on Saturday, warning of possible urban flooding over the next 48 hours in low-lying areas of southern Sindh, including Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Hyderaba and Mirpurkhas.
Similar risks were flagged for the northeastern region, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore.
“There is a possibility of increased water flow in southern Balochistan’s Kirthar Range streams,” the NDMA said, adding that flood levels could rise in the Swat and Panjkora rivers and their tributaries, as well as in the Kabul River and northern Punjab’s drainage systems.
The authority advised the public to avoid low-lying areas, stay away from rivers and streams and refrain from unnecessary travel in at-risk regions.
It also urged citizens to download the NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and guidance.
Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and faces increasingly severe weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and floods.
In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million in Pakistan. The floods also damaged houses, crop and public infrastructure, with total losses estimated at over $30 billion.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further heavy rainfall through Tuesday.
Morocco’s Atlantic gambit: linking restive Sahel to ocean
- The “Atlantic Initiative” promises ocean access to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger through a new $1.3-billion port in the Western Sahara
- But the project remains fraught with challenges at a time when military coups in the Sahel states have brought new leaderships to power
EL ARGOUB: A planned trade corridor linking the landlocked Sahel to the Atlantic is at the heart of an ambitious Moroccan project to tackle regional instability and consolidate its grip on disputed Western Sahara.
The “Atlantic Initiative” promises ocean access to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger through a new $1.3-billion port in the former Spanish colony claimed by the pro-independence Polisario Front but largely controlled by Morocco.
But the project remains fraught with challenges at a time when military coups in the Sahel states have brought new leaderships to power intent on overturning longstanding political alignments following years of jihadist violence.
The Moroccan initiative aims to “substantially transform the economy of these countries” and “the region,” said King Mohammed VI when announcing it in late 2023.
The “Dakhla Atlantic” port, scheduled for completion at El Argoub by 2028, also serves Rabat’s goal of cementing its grip on Western Sahara after US President Donald Trump recognized its sovereignty over the territory in 2020.
Morocco’s regional rival Algeria backs the Polisario but has seen its relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger fray in recent months after the downing a Malian drone.
Military coups over the past five years have seen the three Sahel states pivot toward Russia in a bid to restore their sovereignty and control over natural resources after decades within the sphere of influence of their former colonial ruler France.
French troops were forced to abandon their bases in the three countries, ending their role in the fight against jihadists who have found sanctuary in the vast semi-arid region on the southern edge of the Sahara.
After both the African Union and West African bloc ECOWAS imposed economic sanctions on the new juntas, Morocco emerged as an early ally, with Niger calling the megaproject “a godsend.”
“Morocco was one of the first countries where we found understanding at a time when ECOWAS and other countries were on the verge of waging war against us,” Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare said in April during a visit to Rabat alongside his Malian and Burkinabe counterparts.
The Sahel countries established a bloc of their own — the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — in September 2023 but have remained dependent on the ports of ECOWAS countries like Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo.
Rising tensions with the West African bloc could restrict their access to those ports, boosting the appeal of the alternative trade outlet being offered by Rabat.
Morocco has been seeking to position itself as a middleman between Europe and the Sahel states, said Beatriz Mesa, a professor at the International University of Rabat.
With jihadist networks like Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group striking ever deeper into sub-Saharan Africa, the security threat has intensified since the departure of French-led troops.
Morocco was now “profiting from these failures by placing itself as a reliable Global South partner,” Mesa said.
Its initiative has won the backing of key actors including the United States, France and the Gulf Arab states, who could provide financial support, according to specialist journal Afrique(s) en mouvement.
But for now the proposed trade corridor is little more than an aspiration, with thousands of kilometers (many hundreds of miles) of desert road-building needed to turn it into a reality.
“There are still many steps to take,” since a road and rail network “doesn’t exist,” said Seidik Abba, head of the Sahel-focused think tank CIRES.
Rida Lyammouri of the Policy Center for the New South said the road route from Morocco through Western Sahara to Mauritania is “almost complete,” even though it has been targeted by Polisario fighters.
Abdelmalek Alaoui, head of the Moroccan Institute for Strategic Intelligence, said it could cost as much as $1 billion to build a land corridor through Mauritania, Mali and Niger all the way to Chad, 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) to the east.
And even if the construction work is completed, insecurity is likely to pose a persistent threat to the corridor’s viability, he said.
