About 100,000 Kurds have fled Kirkuk, fearing unrest, since Monday's takeover of the region by Iraqi forces, officials from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said Thursday.
About 18,000 families have taken shelter in the cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniya, the governor of Irbil Nawzad Hadi told reporters. One of his aides told Reuters the total number of people was about 100,000.
Earlier in the day the Irbil-based Rudaw TV, citing a Peshmerga commander, reported that Kurdish forces have not withdrawn from the Khurmala oil field, northwest of Kirkuk.
Khurmala is part of the geological structure of the Kirkuk oil basin. It was developed by the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government as it lies in its administrative boundaries.
Iraqi forces on Monday seized the Kirkuk province from Kurdish forces who deployed there in 2014.
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