Iraq Kurdish Officials Express Alarm, See Fresh Attacks as Imminent

Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are expressing alarm Monday about the growing military buildup of central government forces on their frontier,saying they believe another incursion into Kurdish territory could be imminent.

Iraqi forces carried out major invasions of KRG-held territory in October after the Kurdish referendum in favor of secession from Iraq. Since then, the Kurds have halted plans to declare independence.

Since that exchange, Iraq has sought full control over the Kurdish borders, control over all exports of oil from Kurdish lands, and has greatly reduced the amount of revenue the KRG receives from the central government.

Iraqi military officials denied any specific plans for a new offensive, though they offered no other explanation for why they are building up the number of troops they have along the Kurdish border.