In a big blow for Scottish nationalists, the United Kingdom's top court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold a second referendum on independence next year without approval from the British parliament. Watch this report to know more.

UK's top court rejects Scottish independence referendum bid

Spanish police arrested on Monday nine people linked to Catalonia's pro-independence movement who prosecutors said were plotting violent acts and had been charged with terrorism and possessing explosives.

Spanish police arrested on Monday nine people linked to Catalonia's pro-independence movement who prosecutors said were plotting violent acts and had been charged with terrorism and possessing explosives. The Spanish High Court's prosecutors said in a statement the court had ordered the arrests to prevent the unspecified actions which "could have caused irreparable damage due to the advanced stage of preparations". They said the court was certain the actions were planned for some time between the anniversary of Catalonia's October 1, 2017 independence referendum and the announcement of the verdict in a trial of separatist leaders in Madrid - widely expected in the first half of October. The head of Catalonia’s government hit back, accusing Madrid of creating a "false narrative" of Catalan violence and saying the pro-independence movement would "always be peaceful." The Catalan secession movement has been a major challenge for Spain for years, triggering its biggest political crisis in decades in 2017 when the region briefly declared independence. But it has largely been a peaceful movement characterised by mass protests, in contrast to a Basque separatist campaign that was for decades marked by a violent insurgency until ETA (Basque Homeland and Liberty) ended their fight in 2018. Police said the investigation and raids targeted local groups working under the name Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR), which have staged periodic protests across Catalonia since separatist leaders were arrested after the 2017 independence declaration. Police said they had seized documents, computers and materials that could be used to make explosive devices. Those arrested were charged with rebellion, terrorism and possession of explosives, the prosecutors said. A spokesman for the Guardia Civil national police force in Catalonia said the arrests followed a year-long investigation by the High Court. "Falso narrative" In Sabadell, near Barcelona, the CDR called on its members to gather on Monday evening to protest against the arrests. "The repressive surge does not stop, it continues ... with the firm goal of breaking apart the democratic aspirations of our people," the organisation said on Twitter. Catalonia's main separatist parties called on the interior minister to answer questions about the arrests in Congress and regional government leader Quim Torra criticised Madrid. "Repression remains the only answer from the Spanish state. They are trying to build again a narrative of violence before the rulings. They will not achieve it. The pro-independence movement is and will always be peaceful," he said on Twitter. If it is confirmed the materials seized were to be used in explosives, it would mark a first for CDR, a police spokesman said. Its members have been accused of rebellions and terrorism before but the charges were dropped. In October 2018, in a bid to mark the one-year anniversary of the region's referendum, members of the CDR occupied a train station in the Catalan city of Girona and blocked highways, forcing train cancellations and snarling traffic. They later attempted, but failed, to storm the Catalan parliament.

Spain arrests nine Catalan separatists suspected of plotting violence

Spanish senators met Friday to adopt drastic measures to impose direct rule on rebel region Catalonia in a bid to frustrate its drive to break away, though separatists may push back with an independence declaration.

The Senate, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy&#39;s Popular Party holds a majority, is scheduled to vote on steps to depose Catalonia&#39;s secessionist government before the week is out, after the region held an unlawful independence referendum on October 1.

For its part, the Catalan parliament, where pro-secession parties hold sway, will meet in Barcelona where a proposal to vote on splitting from Spain could work its way onto the floor.

On Thursday, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont opted not to call elections for a new regional parliament thought to be the only way to stave off Madrid&#39;s imminent power grab.&nbsp;

Warning that seizure of control by the central government would escalate the crisis, he passed the buck to the regional parliament &quot;to determine the consequences&quot; of the threatened takeover&nbsp;thus leaving the door open for a possible independence push.

Spain and Catalonia have been locked in a constitutional standoff since a &quot;Yes&quot; vote in the unregulated plebiscite which secessionist leaders hold up as a popular mandate for independence for the region of 7.5 million people.

Only about 43 percent of voters turned out, however, with many anti-secessionists staying away and others prevented from casting their ballot by Spanish police in a crackdown that turned violent.

Based on the vote, Puigdemont moved towards an independence declaration but suspended it pending negotiations.

Madrid turned to Article 155 of the constitution a never-before-used provision designed to rein in rebels among Spain&#39;s 17 regions, which enjoy varying levels of autonomy.

Measures drawn up under the article are set to enter into force on Saturday and will see the central government seek to temporarily take over Catalonia&#39;s civil service, police, purse, and public broadcaster.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria insisted the government was &quot;fulfilling a legal obligation, a democratic obligation, and a political obligation,&quot; by its actions.

But the move is likely to anger Catalans, fiercely protective of their autonomy, even if divided on independence.

Independence supporters are ready to push back and protest against the takeover.

Albert Botran, a regional lawmaker for the far-left CUP party that backs Puigdemont and wants to split from Spain, vowed Friday to &quot;make it difficult for the new, illegitimate government to get away with it.&quot;

&quot;The first action will be resistance,&quot; he told Catalonia Radio.

&#39;Impatient&#39; to leave&nbsp;

Catalonia&#39;s parliament met to discuss the issue late Thursday, where opposition lawmakers pleaded with Puigdemont to find a solution to the standoff closely watched by the European Union nervous wary of nationalist and secessionist sentiment, particularly after Britain&#39;s dramatic decision to leave the bloc.

&quot;You still have time to return to legality and call elections,&quot; Ines Arrimadas, a regional leader of the anti-independence Ciudadanos party, said in parliament.

Catalans are fiercely protective of their language, culture and autonomy -- restored after the 1939-75 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

&quot;We&#39;re impatient to see the proclamation of the Catalan republic,&quot; said Natalia Torres, 19, one of thousands of students at a pro-independence march in Barcelona Thursday.

But Manuel Herrera, a 61-year-old parking attendant, said: &quot;I want to stay in Spain so that more companies don&#39;t leave.&quot;

Fears for Catalonia&#39;s economy have increased as uncertainty persists over the independence drive, with some 1,600 companies having moved their legal headquarters out of the region in recent weeks.

Catalonia accounts for about 16 percent of Spain&#39;s population and a fifth of its economic output.

The Senate, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party holds a majority, is scheduled to vote on steps to depose Catalonia's secessionist government before the week is out, after the region held an unlawful independence referendum on October 1.

Spanish senators met Friday to adopt drastic measures to impose direct rule on rebel region Catalonia in a bid to frustrate its drive to break away, though separatists may push back with an independence declaration. The Senate, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party holds a majority, is scheduled to vote on steps to depose Catalonia's secessionist government before the week is out, after the region held an unlawful independence referendum on October 1. For its part, the Catalan parliament, where pro-secession parties hold sway, will meet in Barcelona where a proposal to vote on splitting from Spain could work its way onto the floor. On Thursday, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont opted not to call elections for a new regional parliament thought to be the only way to stave off Madrid's imminent power grab. Warning that seizure of control by the central government would escalate the crisis, he passed the buck to the regional parliament "to determine the consequences" of the threatened takeover thus leaving the door open for a possible independence push. Spain and Catalonia have been locked in a constitutional standoff since a "Yes" vote in the unregulated plebiscite which secessionist leaders hold up as a popular mandate for independence for the region of 7.5 million people. Only about 43 percent of voters turned out, however, with many anti-secessionists staying away and others prevented from casting their ballot by Spanish police in a crackdown that turned violent. Based on the vote, Puigdemont moved towards an independence declaration but suspended it pending negotiations. Madrid turned to Article 155 of the constitution a never-before-used provision designed to rein in rebels among Spain's 17 regions, which enjoy varying levels of autonomy. Measures drawn up under the article are set to enter into force on Saturday and will see the central government seek to temporarily take over Catalonia's civil service, police, purse, and public broadcaster. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria insisted the government was "fulfilling a legal obligation, a democratic obligation, and a political obligation," by its actions. But the move is likely to anger Catalans, fiercely protective of their autonomy, even if divided on independence. Independence supporters are ready to push back and protest against the takeover. Albert Botran, a regional lawmaker for the far-left CUP party that backs Puigdemont and wants to split from Spain, vowed Friday to "make it difficult for the new, illegitimate government to get away with it." "The first action will be resistance," he told Catalonia Radio. 'Impatient' to leave Catalonia's parliament met to discuss the issue late Thursday, where opposition lawmakers pleaded with Puigdemont to find a solution to the standoff closely watched by the European Union nervous wary of nationalist and secessionist sentiment, particularly after Britain's dramatic decision to leave the bloc. "You still have time to return to legality and call elections," Ines Arrimadas, a regional leader of the anti-independence Ciudadanos party, said in parliament. Catalans are fiercely protective of their language, culture and autonomy -- restored after the 1939-75 dictatorship of Francisco Franco. "We're impatient to see the proclamation of the Catalan republic," said Natalia Torres, 19, one of thousands of students at a pro-independence march in Barcelona Thursday. But Manuel Herrera, a 61-year-old parking attendant, said: "I want to stay in Spain so that more companies don't leave." Fears for Catalonia's economy have increased as uncertainty persists over the independence drive, with some 1,600 companies having moved their legal headquarters out of the region in recent weeks. Catalonia accounts for about 16 percent of Spain's population and a fifth of its economic output.

Spain poised to roll back Catalonia's regional autonomy

Iraqi Kurdistan proposed Wednesday to annul the results of its independence referendum, which triggered a major crisis with Baghdad.

Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote as a precondition for all negotiations and in retaliation has seized large areas of territory held by Kurdish forces.

Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote

Iraqi Kurdistan proposed Wednesday to annul the results of its independence referendum, which triggered a major crisis with Baghdad. Iraq has called for the cancellation of the results of the vote as a precondition for all negotiations and in retaliation has seized large areas of territory held by Kurdish forces.

Iraqi Kurdistan offers to 'freeze' results of independence vote

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces the club&#39;s members at an annual general meeting&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;fighting an increasingly difficult <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-government-meets-to-impose-direct-rule-on-catalonia-22695" target="_blank">battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence</a> and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world.

A powerful symbol of Catalonia, Barca have been caught in the political crossfire since an independence referendum for the wealthy northeastern region of Spain, deemed illegal by the central government in Madrid, was marred by violent clashes as police forced their way into polling stations to seize ballot boxes on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalonia-38-hurt-in-crackdown-on-independence-vote-police-fire-rubber-bullets-in-barcelona-20877" target="_blank">October 1.</a>

That&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;afternoon, in conjunction with Barca&#39;s star-studded squad and after La Liga refused to postpone a match against Las Palmas at the club&#39;s iconic Camp Nou stadium, Bartomeu&#39;s board took the divisive decision to play behind closed doors as a protest.

Two board members subsequently resigned over the decision to go ahead with the game.

&quot;Our position is very clear, we want dialogue,&quot; Bartomeu reiterated after&nbsp;Wednesday&#39;s&nbsp;Champions League win over Olympiakos as a standoff between the Catalan and Spanish governments continues.

<a href="http://Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister" target="_blank">Also read -- Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister</a>

The club has backed Catalonia&#39;s right to self-determination in a referendum, but has never supported either side of the independence debate.

Barca unfurled a near 2,500 metre squared banner displaying the message &quot;Dialogue, Respect, Sport&quot; before kick-off&nbsp;on Wednesday.

However, that didn&#39;t go far enough for many just a day after two civil society leaders of the pro-independence campaign were jailed on charges of sedition.

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural groups led by Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart were invited to the directors&#39; box at the Camp Nou in midweek, but both refused the invitation.

&quot;We believe that the message of FC Barcelona doesn&#39;t represent the feeling of the majority of the fanbase,&quot; the ANC said in a statement.

Both groups had produced a banner calling for Sanchez and Cuixart&#39;s freedom that Barca prevented from entering the stadium for fear of reprisals from UEFA, who sanction any displays of a political nature and have previously fined the club for the flying of pro-separatist flags.

&#39;Never pleases anyone&#39;

Yet, with a 150,000 strong membership and 103 million Facebook followers, there are plenty Barca fans who would like the club to concentrate on points, not politics.

&quot;The club should always be an example of respect to a plurality of opinion among its members, who it is owned by, leaving politics to one side,&quot; various Barca supporters&#39; clubs in the northern Spanish region of Leon said in a joint statement&nbsp;on Wednesday.

&quot;On political issues, Bartomeu is cursed,&quot; online newspaper El Confidencial wrote&nbsp;on Thursday.

&quot;For some, he goes too far, for others not enough. No matter what he does, he never pleases anyone.&quot;

Bartomeu, therefore, faces a membership&nbsp;on Saturday, 92 percent of whom are resident in Catalonia, faced with an impossible mission.

However, the 54-year-old, a softly spoken businessman is a serial survivor of several club crises.

He assumed the role of president after Sandro Rossell resigned over the murky transfer that brought Neymar to Barcelona in 2013 and when pressured into calling early elections, rode the euphoria of winning a treble to secure a fresh mandate in 2015.

Neymar&#39;s departure to Paris Saint-Germain in August provoked a vote of no confidence from disgruntled members which also failed to garner sufficient support to succeed.

The Brazilian has so far not been missed as Barca lead La Liga and their Champions League group with a stunning record of 10 wins and one draw from their opening 11 games in all competitions.

And one of the primary orders of business&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;will be to pass a budget for the new season backed by a record revenue of 897 million euros ($1.06 billion).

Finances may ultimately be the tipping point for how Barca position themselves.

La Liga president Javier Tebas admitted this week the league&#39;s booming TV rights contracts would lose at least 20 percent of their value should Barca be cut adrift in an independent state.

And the financial repercussions for Barca would be even more severe.

&quot;They wouldn&#39;t be able to have world-leading figures,&quot; Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, professor of economics at Barcelona University, told AFP of a squad currently boasting the likes of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.

&quot;They would become a medium-sized club.&quot;

The club is fighting an increasingly difficult battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces the club's members at an annual general meeting on Saturday fighting an increasingly difficult battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world. A powerful symbol of Catalonia, Barca have been caught in the political crossfire since an independence referendum for the wealthy northeastern region of Spain, deemed illegal by the central government in Madrid, was marred by violent clashes as police forced their way into polling stations to seize ballot boxes on October 1. That Sunday afternoon, in conjunction with Barca's star-studded squad and after La Liga refused to postpone a match against Las Palmas at the club's iconic Camp Nou stadium, Bartomeu's board took the divisive decision to play behind closed doors as a protest. Two board members subsequently resigned over the decision to go ahead with the game. "Our position is very clear, we want dialogue," Bartomeu reiterated after Wednesday's Champions League win over Olympiakos as a standoff between the Catalan and Spanish governments continues. Also read -- Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister The club has backed Catalonia's right to self-determination in a referendum, but has never supported either side of the independence debate. Barca unfurled a near 2,500 metre squared banner displaying the message "Dialogue, Respect, Sport" before kick-off on Wednesday. However, that didn't go far enough for many just a day after two civil society leaders of the pro-independence campaign were jailed on charges of sedition. The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural groups led by Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart were invited to the directors' box at the Camp Nou in midweek, but both refused the invitation. "We believe that the message of FC Barcelona doesn't represent the feeling of the majority of the fanbase," the ANC said in a statement. Both groups had produced a banner calling for Sanchez and Cuixart's freedom that Barca prevented from entering the stadium for fear of reprisals from UEFA, who sanction any displays of a political nature and have previously fined the club for the flying of pro-separatist flags. 'Never pleases anyone' Yet, with a 150,000 strong membership and 103 million Facebook followers, there are plenty Barca fans who would like the club to concentrate on points, not politics. "The club should always be an example of respect to a plurality of opinion among its members, who it is owned by, leaving politics to one side," various Barca supporters' clubs in the northern Spanish region of Leon said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "On political issues, Bartomeu is cursed," online newspaper El Confidencial wrote on Thursday. "For some, he goes too far, for others not enough. No matter what he does, he never pleases anyone." Bartomeu, therefore, faces a membership on Saturday, 92 percent of whom are resident in Catalonia, faced with an impossible mission. However, the 54-year-old, a softly spoken businessman is a serial survivor of several club crises. He assumed the role of president after Sandro Rossell resigned over the murky transfer that brought Neymar to Barcelona in 2013 and when pressured into calling early elections, rode the euphoria of winning a treble to secure a fresh mandate in 2015. Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain in August provoked a vote of no confidence from disgruntled members which also failed to garner sufficient support to succeed. The Brazilian has so far not been missed as Barca lead La Liga and their Champions League group with a stunning record of 10 wins and one draw from their opening 11 games in all competitions. And one of the primary orders of business on Saturday will be to pass a budget for the new season backed by a record revenue of 897 million euros ($1.06 billion). Finances may ultimately be the tipping point for how Barca position themselves. La Liga president Javier Tebas admitted this week the league's booming TV rights contracts would lose at least 20 percent of their value should Barca be cut adrift in an independent state. And the financial repercussions for Barca would be even more severe. "They wouldn't be able to have world-leading figures," Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, professor of economics at Barcelona University, told AFP of a squad currently boasting the likes of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi. "They would become a medium-sized club."

Catalan crisis leaves Barca between rock and hard place

Iraqi government forces captured the major Kurdish-held oil city of Kirkuk on Monday, responding to a Kurdish referendum on independence with a bold lightning strike that transforms the balance of power in the country.

A convoy of armoured vehicles from Iraq&#39;s elite U.S.-trained Counter-Terrorism Force seized Kirkuk&#39;s provincial government headquarters less than a day after the operation began, a Reuters reporter in Kirkuk said.

Neither side gave a casualty toll for the operation. But an aid organisation working in Kirkuk said several Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and members of the Iraqi forces had been killed in an overnight clash south of Kirkuk - the only serious fighting reported.

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As Iraqi forces advanced, Kurdish operators briefly shut some 350,000 barrels per day of oil output at two large Kirkuk fields, citing security concerns, oil ministry sources on both sides said. But production resumed shortly thereafter following an Iraqi threat to seize fields under Kurdish management if they did not do so, according to the sources.

It was not immediately clear whether or when the Iraqi government would seek to retake control of all Kirkuk oilfields, a vital source of revenue for the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The short suspension in production helped push up world oil prices as the shutdown represented more than half of total Kurdish output.[O/R]

Fighting between Baghdad and the Kurds could open an entirely new front in Iraq&#39;s 14-year-old civil war and potentially draw in regional powers such as Turkey and Iran.

President Donald Trump said the United States would not take sides in the clash but expressed disappointment the two sides were in conflict.

The U.S. military said its commanders in Iraq were urging Iraqi and Kurdish forces to avoid escalation and played down reports of fighting.

&quot;We support the peaceful exercise of joint administration by the central and regional governments, consistent with the Iraqi constitution, in all disputed areas,&quot; the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Trump told reporters at the White House: &quot;We don&#39;t like the fact that they&#39;re clashing. We&#39;re not taking sides.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;ve had for many years a very good relationship with the Kurds as you know and we&#39;ve also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been there in the first place,&quot; he said.

Washington arms and trains both Iraqi federal forces and the Peshmerga to fight Islamic State militants.

Thousands of Kurds flee

A dozen Iraqi armoured vehicles arrived at the provincial government headquarters in Kirkuk and took up positions nearby, alongside local police. They pulled down the Kurdish flag and left the Iraqi flag flying.

Thousands of Kurdish civilians fled the city of 1 million people for fear of reprisals. A Kurdish father of four who was driving out of Kirkuk towards the Kurdish regional capital Erbil to the north said: &quot;We no longer feel safe. We hope to return to our home but right now we feel it&#39;s dangerous for us to stay.&quot;

Crowds of ethnic Turkmen who opposed Kurdish control of the city were celebrating. Some drove in convoys with Iraqi flags and fired shots in the air.

&quot;This day should become a holiday, we&#39;re so happy to have gotten rid of Barzani&#39;s party,&quot; said a man celebrating on a motorbike, waving the blue-and-white flag of Iraq&#39;s Turkmen, referring to the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani.

The Iraqi government considers the Sept. 25 Kurdish independence referendum illegal, especially as it was held not just in the autonomous KRG region but in Kirkuk and other adjacent areas that Kurdish Peshmerga forces occupied after driving out Islamic State militants in 2014.

The Peshmerga moved in after Iraqi government forces collapsed in the face of a rapid onslaught by Islamic State, preventing the jihadists from seizing the oilfields.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the national flag hoisted over Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

Baghdad described its army&#39;s advance as largely unopposed, and urged the Peshmerga to cooperate in keeping the peace.

The Peshmerga said Baghdad would be made to pay &quot;a heavy price&quot; for triggering &quot;war on the Kurdistan people&quot;.

Move against Kurdish secession

The overnight advance was the most decisive step Baghdad has taken yet to block the independence bid of the Kurds, who have long governed an autonomous tract of northern Iraq and voted three weeks ago to secede.

Kirkuk, one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in Iraq, is located just outside the autonomous Kurdish zone. Kurds consider it the heart of their homeland; they say it was cleansed of Kurds and settled with Arabs under former President Saddam Hussein to secure control of the oil.

U.S. Defense Department spokesman Colonel Robert Manning declined to speculate on whether Washington might cut off military aid and training to Iraqi forces in the event of a major conflict.

Secession opposed by neighbours

The Kurdish secession bid was strongly opposed by neighbours Iran and Turkey. Washington, allied with the Kurds for decades, pleaded in vain for them to halt a vote that could break up Iraq.

There were signs of internal strife among the Kurds, who have been divided for decades into two main factions, the KDP of regional government leader Barzani and the PUK of his late rival Jalal Talabani.

Both parties control their own Peshmerga units. While Barzani&#39;s KDP strongly supported the independence referendum, some PUK figures were more circumspect.

Monday&#39;s Peshmerga statement accused a group within the PUK of &quot;treason&quot; for allegedly assisting Baghdad&#39;s advance. &quot;We regret that some PUK officials helped in this plot,&quot; it said.

Talabani&#39;s widow, Hero, said the Iraqi operation was carried out with international consent and the PUK was not able to prevent it through talks. &quot;This heroic city was facing an international plan,&quot; she said in a statement.

Although Iraqi officials portrayed the Kurds as retreating without a fight, Kurdish officials said Peshmerga had clashed with the &quot;Popular Mobilisation&quot; - Shi&#39;ite Muslim forces trained and armed by Iran that operate alongside regular Iraqi troops.

Turkey, which had developed a good working relationship with the Iraqi Kurds and let the landlocked region export oil through its pipes, has swung behind Baghdad, furious at a secession move that might ignite similar demands from its own Kurds.

Turkey said it would close its airspace to KRG territory and work to hand control of the main border crossing into the region to the Iraqi central government.

The takeover transforms the balance of power in the country

Iraqi government forces captured the major Kurdish-held oil city of Kirkuk on Monday, responding to a Kurdish referendum on independence with a bold lightning strike that transforms the balance of power in the country. A convoy of armoured vehicles from Iraq's elite U.S.-trained Counter-Terrorism Force seized Kirkuk's provincial government headquarters less than a day after the operation began, a Reuters reporter in Kirkuk said. Neither side gave a casualty toll for the operation. But an aid organisation working in Kirkuk said several Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and members of the Iraqi forces had been killed in an overnight clash south of Kirkuk - the only serious fighting reported. Neither side gave a casualty toll for the operation. But an aid organisation working in Kirkuk said several Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and members of the Iraqi forces had been killed in an overnight clash south of Kirkuk - the only serious fighting reported × As Iraqi forces advanced, Kurdish operators briefly shut some 350,000 barrels per day of oil output at two large Kirkuk fields, citing security concerns, oil ministry sources on both sides said. But production resumed shortly thereafter following an Iraqi threat to seize fields under Kurdish management if they did not do so, according to the sources. It was not immediately clear whether or when the Iraqi government would seek to retake control of all Kirkuk oilfields, a vital source of revenue for the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The short suspension in production helped push up world oil prices as the shutdown represented more than half of total Kurdish output.[O/R] Fighting between Baghdad and the Kurds could open an entirely new front in Iraq's 14-year-old civil war and potentially draw in regional powers such as Turkey and Iran. President Donald Trump said the United States would not take sides in the clash but expressed disappointment the two sides were in conflict. The U.S. military said its commanders in Iraq were urging Iraqi and Kurdish forces to avoid escalation and played down reports of fighting. "We support the peaceful exercise of joint administration by the central and regional governments, consistent with the Iraqi constitution, in all disputed areas," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. Trump told reporters at the White House: "We don't like the fact that they're clashing. We're not taking sides." "We've had for many years a very good relationship with the Kurds as you know and we've also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been there in the first place," he said. Washington arms and trains both Iraqi federal forces and the Peshmerga to fight Islamic State militants. Thousands of Kurds flee A dozen Iraqi armoured vehicles arrived at the provincial government headquarters in Kirkuk and took up positions nearby, alongside local police. They pulled down the Kurdish flag and left the Iraqi flag flying. Thousands of Kurdish civilians fled the city of 1 million people for fear of reprisals. A Kurdish father of four who was driving out of Kirkuk towards the Kurdish regional capital Erbil to the north said: "We no longer feel safe. We hope to return to our home but right now we feel it's dangerous for us to stay." Crowds of ethnic Turkmen who opposed Kurdish control of the city were celebrating. Some drove in convoys with Iraqi flags and fired shots in the air. "This day should become a holiday, we're so happy to have gotten rid of Barzani's party," said a man celebrating on a motorbike, waving the blue-and-white flag of Iraq's Turkmen, referring to the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani. The Iraqi government considers the Sept. 25 Kurdish independence referendum illegal, especially as it was held not just in the autonomous KRG region but in Kirkuk and other adjacent areas that Kurdish Peshmerga forces occupied after driving out Islamic State militants in 2014. The Peshmerga moved in after Iraqi government forces collapsed in the face of a rapid onslaught by Islamic State, preventing the jihadists from seizing the oilfields. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the national flag hoisted over Kirkuk and other disputed areas. Baghdad described its army's advance as largely unopposed, and urged the Peshmerga to cooperate in keeping the peace. The Peshmerga said Baghdad would be made to pay "a heavy price" for triggering "war on the Kurdistan people". Move against Kurdish secession The overnight advance was the most decisive step Baghdad has taken yet to block the independence bid of the Kurds, who have long governed an autonomous tract of northern Iraq and voted three weeks ago to secede. Kirkuk, one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in Iraq, is located just outside the autonomous Kurdish zone. Kurds consider it the heart of their homeland; they say it was cleansed of Kurds and settled with Arabs under former President Saddam Hussein to secure control of the oil. U.S. Defense Department spokesman Colonel Robert Manning declined to speculate on whether Washington might cut off military aid and training to Iraqi forces in the event of a major conflict. Secession opposed by neighbours The Kurdish secession bid was strongly opposed by neighbours Iran and Turkey. Washington, allied with the Kurds for decades, pleaded in vain for them to halt a vote that could break up Iraq. There were signs of internal strife among the Kurds, who have been divided for decades into two main factions, the KDP of regional government leader Barzani and the PUK of his late rival Jalal Talabani. Both parties control their own Peshmerga units. While Barzani's KDP strongly supported the independence referendum, some PUK figures were more circumspect. Monday's Peshmerga statement accused a group within the PUK of "treason" for allegedly assisting Baghdad's advance. "We regret that some PUK officials helped in this plot," it said. Talabani's widow, Hero, said the Iraqi operation was carried out with international consent and the PUK was not able to prevent it through talks. "This heroic city was facing an international plan," she said in a statement. Although Iraqi officials portrayed the Kurds as retreating without a fight, Kurdish officials said Peshmerga had clashed with the "Popular Mobilisation" - Shi'ite Muslim forces trained and armed by Iran that operate alongside regular Iraqi troops. Turkey, which had developed a good working relationship with the Iraqi Kurds and let the landlocked region export oil through its pipes, has swung behind Baghdad, furious at a secession move that might ignite similar demands from its own Kurds. Turkey said it would close its airspace to KRG territory and work to hand control of the main border crossing into the region to the Iraqi central government.

After they threaten independence referendum, Iraqi forces seize oil city of Kirkuk from Kurds

independence-referendum

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