The Battle of Kirkuk (2017), part of the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, was a military deployment by the Iraqi Security Forces to retake Kirkuk Governorate from the Peshmerga after the latter ignored repeated warnings to withdraw,^[17] sparking clashes between the two forces.^[18] The advance began on 15 October 2017, with the city of Kirkuk being retaken the following day. Iraqi central government forces continued their advances in subsequent days, routing the Peshmerga forces across vast swathes of territory in northern Iraq.^[1]

Quick Facts Date, Location ...

Battle of Kirkuk (2017)
Part of the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
Map of the offensive
Date 15–20 October 2017 (5 days) Location Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq Result Iraqi government victory[1][2] Territorial changes Iraqi government retakes control of the entire Kirkuk Governorate, including the city of Kirkuk, Kirkuk Air Base, and Kirkuk Airport by 20 October[3][4][5]
Belligerents
Iraq	Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Workers' Party[6][7] (denied by KRG)[8] White Flags (alleged)[9][10]
Commanders and leaders
Haider al-Abadi (Commander-in-chief) Maj. Gen. Fadhil al-Barwari (ISOF commander)	Masoud Barzani Hiwa Chor
Units involved
Iraqi Army 9th Armoured Division[11] ISOF PMF Turkmen Brigades Iraqi Turkmen Front[12]	Peshmerga People's Defence Forces[6]
Strength
3,000 soldiers 200–300 armoured vehicles[13]	9,000 Peshmerga forces[11]
Casualties and losses
150 killed or wounded and one tanks destroyed (Kurdish claim)[14]	25 killed, 45 wounded (hospital claim)[15] 105 killed 200 wounded 45 captured (PUK claim)[16]

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The battle followed the 2017 Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum when voters overwhelmingly supported (93%) "the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistani areas outside the administration of the Region" to become an independent state. The Kurdistan Region considered the referendum binding, while the Iraqi government regarded it as illegal. The oil-rich and multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk was the subject of long-running dispute and is not recognised by the Iraqi government as part of the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Before the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) invaded Kirkuk was under Iraqi control. Kirkuk was taken from ISIL by Kurdish forces. The Kurdish Peshmerga ignored a deadline given by Iraq to withdraw from the area by 15 October 2017^[19] and the operation to take the territory back under the control of the central Iraqi government was initiated. Within 15 hours, the city of Kirkuk, surrounding oil fields and several facilities including the military airport were retaken by Iraqi forces.^[3]

The Kurdish Peshmerga ignored a deadline given by the Iraqi government to withdraw from disputed areas by 15 October 2017. This led to the Iraqi forces and the Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF) retaking Kirkuk and its province on the same day. Within 15 hours, the city of Kirkuk and the nearby K-1 Air Base, along with surrounding oilfields, were retaken by Iraqi forces.^[20] Most Peshmerga retreated from the city immediately without resistance.^[2] This, in turn, led to the collapse of Kurdish defences, and to large-scale accusations of betrayal on the part of the Talabani family by the KDP, since the day before the Battle of Kirkuk, both parties had met in Dukan and agreed to fight.^[21] On the same day, Iraqi forces advanced on and captured the city of Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin Governorate, 60 km (37 mi) south of Kirkuk, as well as Kifri in the Diyala Governorate.^[22][23]

On 16 October Iraqi forces continued to advance, seizing the Baba GurGur oil field. In Tuz Khurmatu, two people were killed in exchanges of artillery fire.^[24] Later in the day, the Iraqi Army announced that they had taken full control of the city as U.S.-trained counter-terrorism forces captured the provincial government headquarters. Afterward, celebrations could be heard from ethnic Turkmen in Kirkuk.^[4][25] PUK Peshmerga units came to an agreement with the Iraqi government forces to withdraw from their positions in Kirkuk, but KDP affiliated Peshmerga units continued to resist the Iraqi advance, entrenching themselves in positions near the city of Dibis.^[26] However, later on 16 October Kurdish units near Dibis received orders to withdraw and abandoned the city ahead of the Iraqi advance.^[27] The Iraqi government claimed on 16 October that it had taken full control of the city of Kirkuk.^[4] Kurdish reports indicated that their lines to the south of the city of Kirkuk crumbled as soon as they were engaged by Iraqi M1A1 Abrams tanks.^[13]

On 17 October Iraqi forces continued to advance, taking the Bai Hassan and Avana oil fields near Kirkuk.^[28] By the end of 17 October the Iraqi government claimed to have retaken all of the oil facilities it had held prior to the ISIL advance on the area in 2014.^[27] On 18 October the Iraqi government declared that they had completed its objectives in the offensive.^[29] On 20 October, the Iraqi forces, composed of Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service units, Federal Police and PMF, announced that after a three-hour battle they had secured the last Kurdish-controlled town of Altun Kupri in Kirkuk Governorate, which was previously under Kurdish control.^[30] This effectively allowed the Iraqi government to secure control of the remainder of Kirkuk Governorate.^[5]

•  United States: President Donald Trump expressed his discontent that both sides are fighting, in which he mentioned that "we don't like the fact that they're clashing. We're not taking sides".^[44]
•  Turkey: In a statement on 16 October 2017 the ministry said that Turkey closely monitors Iraq's steps to "restore its constitutional sovereignty over Kirkuk, a homeland for Turkmens for centuries, after referendum conducted by the KRG".^[45]
•  Iraq: In a statement the Iraqi government accused Kurdish authorities of bringing fighters from Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to the disputed province of Kirkuk, in a move it called a "declaration of war".^[46]
• Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR): In a statement on 16 October 2017 the international coalition announced that coalition forces and advisors are not supporting either activities of Iraq or Kurdistan Region near Kirkuk and strongly urged all sides to avoid escalatory actions.^[47]
• Rival Kurdish factions accused each other of betraying Kirkuk to Iraqi forces.^[48]
• KRG Vice-President Kosrat Rasul called the Iraqi forces in Kirkuk and other areas an "occupation"; for this, Iraq's Supreme Court Justice Council ordered his arrest.^[33]