Officials representing the Iraqi government and its Kurdish minority are talking with one another, but no official cease-fire has been declared, according to the U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad.
The clarification from Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, came Friday morning Washington time, about an hour after news broke that a cease-fire had been declared.
Dillon had originally said that the coalition had been informed of the cease-fire Friday morning and that top officials were encouraging both sides to make sure “it’s not just temporary.”
Then Dillon tweeted: “Clarification: I incorrectly said in interivew [sic] today with @RudawEnglish there was a “ceasefire” b/w Iraqi and Kurdish forces. Both parties talking w/ one another, but not an official “ceasefire.” @CJTFOIR encouraging dialogue w/o further conflict.”
1/2 Clarification: I incorrectly said in interivew today with @RudawEnglish there was a “ceasefire” b/w Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) October 27, 2017
2/2 Both parties talking w/ one another, but not an official “ceasefire.” @CJTFOIR encouraging dialogue w/o further conflict.
— OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) October 27, 2017
Clashes broke out between Baghdad-led forces and Kurdish forces known as the Peshmerga earlier this month when Iraq’s military retook the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
The Kurdish referendum on support for independence held in September stoked tensions between Irbil and Baghdad and well as across the region.
The cease-fire comes after more than two weeks of largely low-level clashes and warnings from the coalition that the dispute was distracting from the Islamic State fight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
