The Kurdistan Regional Government believes that Iraqi forces and Shi’ite militias are conspiring to retake territory from Kurdistan in Kirkuk and Nineveh provinces. Baghdad claims that its focus now is only on recapturing territory in Anbar province. Shi’ite militia forces, on the other hand, have been vocal about attacking Kirkuk and Sinjar. Separately, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called on Kurdish forces to resist fighting Iraqi forces in contested areas.
An Iraqi court issued arrest warrants for members of the Kurdistan’s Independent High Electoral and Referendum Commission, which oversaw the independence referendum.
At least 31 people were killed and 22 were wounded:
A suicide bomber attacked a restaurant in Hit, where he killed 11 people and wounded 15 more. Security forces killed a suicide bomber at a different location.
In Mosul, a bomb killed a policeman and wounded three others.
A bomb in Jurf al-Sakhar wounded four militiamen.
Fourteen militants were killed in an airstrike in Qaim.
Security forces killed three militants in Saniya.
