Alwaght- Iraqi Kurdish militias loyal to Barzani have reportedly destroyed infrastructure of Altun Kupri while withdrawing from the northwestern city.
Al-Masdar news website published photos that shows two bridges destroyed by pro-Barzani Peshmerga fighters. The bridges cross major rivers that connect the main road leading to the city of Erbil via Kirkuk in the area of Altun Kupri .
The local news website said Barzani loyalist militias destroyed the bridges to slow down Iraqi pro-government forces after it became apparent they could not hope to retake Altun Kupri.
The developments followed weeks of simmering tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government over the referendum, held on September 25 in open defiance of the central government in Baghdad.
Following the vote, Baghdad imposed a ban on direct international flights to the Kurdish region and called for a halt to its independent crude oil sales.
Last week, Iraq’s judiciary also issued arrest warrants for three senior Kurdish officials, who were allegedly behind the contentious plebiscite, which also faced strong opposition from regional countries, including Iran and Turkey. Iraq's Supreme Court has already ruled the referendum unconstitutional.
Despite all pressures, Kurdish leaders refused to renounce the breakaway vote making Iraqi prime minister to order troops deployment to disputed areas that were occupied by Kurdish militias after ISIS incursion into Iraq in 2014. Following the order, Iraqi army backed bay Popular Mobilization Forces launched last week a multi-fronted operation on the Kurdish-held areas in Kirkuk, Saladin, Diyala provinces and recaptured almost all disputed areas after Kurdish Peshmerga forces evacuated, including Altun Kupri.
