You're reading: Reuters: Iran halts flights to Iraq’s Kurdish region in retaliation for independence vote

Reuters: Iran halts flights to Iraq’s Kurdish region in retaliation for independence vote

Published Sept. 24, 2017. Updated Sept. 24 at 6:18 pm

Smoke rises following an airstrike in western Mosul on March 6, during an offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the western parts of the city from Islamic State (IS) group.

Photo by AFP

DUBAI/ISTANBUL — Iranian forces have launched war games in an area near the border with Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday, a day before a Kurdish independence referendum in the region.

Turkey also said on Sunday its aircraft launched airstrikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq’s Gara region on Saturday after spotting militants preparing to attack Turkish military outposts on the border.