Heavy fighting continues in the town of Ayadiya near Tal Afar. The fighting has been so ferocious that Iraqi forces are unable to advance and were forced to call in for airstrikes and reinforcements.
Kirkuk’s provisional council has decided that the province will participate in a Kurdish independence referendum scheduled for September 25. Because Kirkuk is not a part of the official Iraqi Kurdistan region — although Kurdish forces are in control of parts of the province — the vote would, at best, indicate a desire to join Iraqi Kurdistan. Only 24 of 41 council members voted, with Arab and Turkmen members boycotting the process.
On Wednesday, the Trebil border post at the border with Jordan will open to traffic for the first time in over two years.
At least 187 people were killed and 22 were wounded:
In Baghdad, a blast killed two people and wounded three at a sheep market in Suwaib. A bomb wounded a civilian in Shabb. A blast in Zidan wounded three civilians.
A female suicide bomber attacked Peshmerga forces near Ayadiya, where she killed two displaced women and a child. Five Peshmerga were wounded.
In Tal Afar, a bomb killed two militiamen and wounded three more.
Militants killed a Peshmerga officer and wounded another during an attack on Zarka. Twelve militants were also killed.
In Iskandariya, a bomb wounded two militiamen.
Strikes on Qaim wounded four civilians and killed 11 militants.
Over the last three days, Peshmerga forces killed 130 militants attempting to flee the Tal Afar area towards Syria.
In Badush, 20 militants were killed.
Five militants were killed in a strike on Nafet Khana.
