Iraqi parliament asks leader Abadi to take back Kirkuk

The Iraqi parliament on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kirkuk and take control of its oilfields from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Kirkuk’s population is mainly composed of Arab, Turkmen and Kurdish inhabitants. The KRG allegedly included it in the so-called independence referendum held on Monday.

"The government has to bring back the oilfields of Kirkuk under the control of the oil ministry," said the resolution voted by parliament in Baghdad, seen by Reuters.

It called on Abadi to "issue orders for the security forces to deploy in the disputed areas, including Kirkuk".