Iraqi and Kurdish armies sign deal – amid KRG referendum vote

The Iraqi government, despite the Kurdish government’s defiance in conducting an independence referendum Monday, has reached a military cooperation deal with the Kurdish Peshmerga. Monday, the Iraqi army and Peshmerga chiefs signed a five-point agreement to fight together for the liberation of Hawija, one of the last places still held by the Islamic State. Maj.-Gen. Muhammad Hajji Qadir, commander of the Kurdish Daquq front, said: “After two days of continuous meetings, both sides reached an agreement that the Peshmerga should also participate in the operation. All its brigades have been put on “complete standby.”
Monday, voters of the Kurdish Republic of Iraq queued at polling booths to vote “yes’ for independence and separation from Iraq, in the face of a threats from across the Middle East and beyond.