Iraqi forces take control of Bai Hasan, Avana oil fields after Peshmerga pullout

Iraqi forces took control on Tuesday of the Bai Hasan and Avana oil fields northwest of Kirkuk, after Peshmerga forces pulled out from the region, security sources said.

The advance of the Iraqi government forces in the oil-rich district of Dibis where the two fields are located is part of an operation ordered by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to take control of areas claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and central authorities in Baghdad.

Iraqi government forces assumed "full control" over Kirkuk's city center, according to a statement issued late Monday by the army's Joint Operations Command.