The city of Kirkuk is part of the disputed areas claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurdish region. Most of the disputed areas are under control of the Peshmerga.

The operation to free Hawijah came as tensions are running high between Baghdad government and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan after the Kurdish region held a controversial referendum on independence of Kurdistan and disputed areas in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin provinces.

The referendum was widely opposed because it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and it could undermine fight against IS.

In addition, neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iran and Syria see that such a step would threaten their territorial integrity, as large populations of Kurds live in those countries.

【国际英语资讯:Iraqi PM predicts full defeat of IS in Iraq in 2017】相关文章：

★ 专栏：欧元区未解体原因何在？

★ 印度巴士轮奸案嫌犯被起诉

★ 德意志银行率先出台严厉奖酬规则

★ 台湾咖啡店标明咖啡因含量卖咖啡

★ 创造你的运气

★ 大股东敦促巴克莱削减投行业务

★ 格鲁吉亚给日本的教训

★ 人与同行的狮子

★ 财政悬崖逼近之际，奥巴马将返回华盛顿

★ 印度轮奸事件受害女子送往新加坡治疗