Iraq Launches Offensive on Hawija, an Islamic State Stronghold Near Oil City Kirkuk, Reports Reuters

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq launched an offensive on Thursday aimed at ousting Islamic State from Hawija, a region situated west of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

This operation was announced by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and comes just four days ahead of a referendum on Kurdish independence set to take place in northern Iraq, which includes Kirkuk.

Abadi has termed the September 25 referendum as “anti-constitutional” and is urging the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government to revoke it.

Kirkuk is becoming a focal point of tensions surrounding the Kurdish independence vote, as it is inhabited by Arab and Turkmen populations who oppose secession from Iraq.

In 2014, Kurdish Peshmerga forces seized control of Kirkuk when the Iraqi army faltered in the face of Islamic State, preventing the militants from taking over the city’s oil fields.

According to Iraqi state television, a U.S.-led international coalition is offering air support for the offensive on Hawija.

It remains unclear if the Kurdish intention to proceed with the referendum in Kirkuk will be impacted by the Iraqi military action, which could lead to an influx of refugees into adjacent areas. The United Nations previously indicated that up to 85,000 individuals might be displaced from the Hawija region.

On Wednesday, the United States issued a strong statement opposing the Kurdish referendum. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert expressed that the U.S. “strongly opposes the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government’s referendum on independence, planned for September 25.”

Hawija, located north of Baghdad, and a stretch of territory along the Syrian border west of the Iraqi capital represent the last areas in the country still controlled by Islamic State. The group had overrun approximately one-third of Iraq in 2014.

Islamic State’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” effectively collapsed in July when U.S.-backed Iraqi forces captured Mosul, the group’s de facto capital. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters contributed to the military efforts against the militants.

Although Islamic State retains some territory in Syria near the Iraqi border, it is rapidly losing ground due to pressure from a U.S.-backed Kurdish-led coalition and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad supported by Russia and Iran.