BAGHDAD - Iraq will deploy troops to regain full control of the Kirkuk oil area and fields surrounding it to restart production suspended by the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, a senior Iraqi oil official in Baghdad told Reuters.
"Kurdish forces following Erbil orders have deliberately evacuated oil workers from oilfields under its control in Kirkuk, including Bai Hassan and Avana and this reckless action caused the halt of production from these oilfields," the official said.
"We will not allow them to shut down production. We've got confirmation from military commanders that it's a matter of a very short time," the official said. "Our brave forces will regain control of all Kirkuk oilfields and then we will restart production immediately."
(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, editing by Louise Heavens) ((Dmitri.Zhdannikov@thomsonreuters.com;))
"Kurdish forces following Erbil orders have deliberately evacuated oil workers from oilfields under its control in Kirkuk, including Bai Hassan and Avana and this reckless action caused the halt of production from these oilfields," the official said.
"We will not allow them to shut down production. We've got confirmation from military commanders that it's a matter of a very short time," the official said. "Our brave forces will regain control of all Kirkuk oilfields and then we will restart production immediately."
(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, editing by Louise Heavens) ((Dmitri.Zhdannikov@thomsonreuters.com;))
