Iraqi court orders arrest of Kurdistan vice president

An Iraqi court has ordered the arrest of the vice-president of the Kurdistan Region for calling troops sent to Kirkuk this week “occupying forces”.

A Supreme Judicial Council spokesman said the court believed Kosrat Rasul’s remarks were an incitement to violence.

He made them in a statement condemning the withdrawal of Peshmerga fighters from Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

Baghdad launched an operation to retake them on Monday, three weeks after the Kurds held an independence referendum.

People living in areas under Kurdish control overwhelmingly backed secession but Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the vote illegal.

After the military operation concluded on Tuesday, Mr Abadi said the referendum was a “thing of the past” and offered “dialogue under the constitution”.

The Kurdistan Region said it welcomed the call for dialogue on Thursday.