Iraqi officials deny plan to attack Kurds

CAIRO – 13 October 2017: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi firmly denied on Thursday preparations for a military attack on Kurdistan, and warned against going back to sectarian and divisional discourse.

“The Iraqi army would not be used against our people or go into a war against our own citizens, Kurdish or otherwise,” Abady said according Xinhuanews agency.

According to CNN Iraqi government spokesman Saad Al Hadithi told Sputnikthat suchstories have become used as an attempt to trigger fear and concerns and to divide Iraqi people. “Maybe what provoked them a lot is what Abady said in his weekly press conference, that he would never take an action that would harmthe citizens including the Kurds, inside and outside Kurdistan.”

Former Iraqi Foreign Minister and Kurdish politician HoshyarZebarisaid that Baghdad didn’t come up with a definite plan for a military attack on Kurdistan. However, he warned against the presence of some elements inside the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) who may represent a threat in the near future.

The Kurdistan Regional Government said Wednesday that Iraqi government forces and Iranian-trained Iraqi paramilitaries are "preparing a major attack" on Kurdish forces in the area of Kirkuk.

Kurdistan held an independence referendum earlier on September 25, which was rejected by many countries including the US, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The Iraqi government has considered it unconstitutional and called for its suspension.