Kurdish Peshmerga withdraw from Kirkuk - spokesman

IRBIL, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- Iraq Kurdistan's Peshmerga Ministry said the Kurdish forces withdrew from all areas in Kirkuk amidst what it described was continuous military operations by the Iraqi forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashd.
The Peshmerga forces are outside the borders of oil-rich Kirkuk now and there is no coordination with the Iraqi forces, Ministry spokesman Majro-General Jabbar Yawar said in a statement.
He said clashes erupted between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces before the troops withdrew from Alton Kubri district. The clashes forced halt of land transportation between Irbil and Kirkuk from the side of Alton Kubri.
Governor of Irbil Nozad Hadi, meanwhile, told a news conference that there were no security or military threats on Irbil.
He said negotiations and dialogue were the best means to solve differences. (end) sbr.bs