2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
The 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, also known as the Kirkuk crisis, was a conflict in which the Iraqi government retook disputed territories in Iraq which had been held by the Peshmerga since ISIL's Northern Iraq offensive in 2014. The conflict began on 15 October 2017 after tensions arising from the Kurdistan Region independence referendum of 25 September. The tension between the federal Iraqi government and Kurdistan Region escalated into conflict when the Peshmerga ignored repeated warnings to return Kirkuk to Iraqi government forces. Part of the conflict was the Battle of Kirkuk, when Iraqi forces routed Peshmerga forces from the city in a surprise dawn-offensive, marking the beginning of clashes.
| 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict | |||||||||
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| Part of the War in Iraq (2013–2017) | |||||||||
Sinjar Alliance control
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Iraq Supported by: Iran |
Kurdistan Regional Government PKK PDKI White Flags (alleged) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Fuad Masum (President of Iraq) Haider al-Abadi (Commander-in-chief) Othman al-Ghanmi (Chief of Staff of Iraqi Army) Maj. Gen. Fadhil al-Barwari (ISOF commander) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Deputy Chairman of Popular Mobilization Committee) Yılmaz Neccar (Turkmen PMU commander) |
Masoud Barzani (President of Iraqi Kurdistan, resigned on 1 Nov.) Kosrat Rasul Ali (Vice President of Iraqi Kurdistan until 1 Nov.) Nechirvan Barzani (President of the Kurdistan Regional Government) Masrour Barzani (Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region) Najmiddin Karim (Kirkuk governor) Lt. Col. Azad Muhammad | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
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| Strength | |||||||||
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3,000+ government fighters and PMU forces 300 armored vehicles | 9,000+ Peshmerga forces | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| unknown |
105 killed 200 wounded 45 captured (PUK claim) | ||||||||
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400 Kurdish civilians killed, 200 missing in Kirkuk (per Kurdish media) 183,000 displaced (per United Nations) | |||||||||
The conflict began in response to a referendum vote on independence held by the Kurdistan Regional Government to break away from Iraq despite the Federal Court deeming the vote unconstitutional. The designated break away areas included territories disputed between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The disputed territories had been under the control of government forces prior to ISIL's Northern Iraq offensive during which they switched into the hands of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The central government demanded the return of the areas to central administration following the end of the war, however this was rejected by the Kurdistan Regional Government. Chief among these areas were the oil rich regions of Kirkuk and Sinjar as well as the areas of Tuz Khurmatu, Makhmur and Jalawla. The vote was heavily opposed by non-Kurdish residents of the territories who had been accusing the Kurdistan Regional Government for years of discriminatory treatment and forced Kurdification of their areas including demolition of entire settlements, gerry-mandering and vote-rigging.
As a result of the conflict, Kurdistan Region lost a fifth of the land mass it had administered prior to the conflict and was forced to cancel the results of the referendum.