(20 Oct 2017) Iraqi federal and Kurdish forces exchanged fire at their shared border on Friday, capping a dramatic week of manoeuvres which saw the Kurds hand over territory across northern Iraq.
Iraqi forces shelled Kurdish military positions north and south of Altun Kupri, a town of about 9,000 people just outside the country's autonomous Kurdish region, a day after Brigadier General Raad Baddai gave warning he was going to enter the town.
Organised Kurdish forces, known as the peshmerga, as well as irregular forces, responded with rocket fire.
By midday, Iraq's Defence Ministry said anti-terrorism forces, the federal police and the country's Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Front militias had taken the town.
But the peshmerga's general command disputed that claim, saying Kurdish fighters fought off the advance and destroyed 10 humvees and an Abrams tank.
There were no casualty reports, but there were ambulances inside the town.
Iraq's federal authority claims Altun Kupri for itself as it is part of the areas acquired by the Kurds in 2014, when Iraqi soldiers gave up their posts in the face of an Islamic State group advance.
Altun Kupri is the last town on the federal side of the border on the road between Kirkuk and Irbil.
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani championed a non-binding vote for Kurdish independence in September.
Baghdad condemned it and instead demanded the return of the disputed territories, precipitating the crisis.
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