Iraqi forces seize areas around Kirkuk

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces on Monday gained more ground in the multiethnic province of Kirkuk with the aim of taking control of the disputed areas that were seized by Kurdish fighters in 2014, the Iraqi military said.

The troops captured several areas in south and west of the city of Kirkuk, including a gas installation, an oil refinery, a power station and the village of Yaiyji, in addition to an industrial area and two crossing points, the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered government forces to enter the province in northern Iraq to regain control of the areas that are claimed by Baghdad and the Kurdish semi-autonomous region.