baghdad iraqi kurdish political party oppose regional leader masoud barzani report attack offices several cities overnight hours barzani announce resignation bring low fail push independence patriotic union kurdistan puk movement change gorran say separate statements several offices duhok region north kurdish capital erbil loot burn overnight casualties report semi-autonomous kurdistan regional government krg northern iraq say order local police force know asayish stop attack barzani 71 say sunday would give position president nov. independence referendum champion northern iraq backfire trigger military economic retaliation iraqi government veteran guerrilla leader run iraq kurdish autonomous region since 2005 preside firm hand region prosper rest iraq struggle civil war bring low recent weeks decision push independence vote downfall expose deep fracture among kurds arm protesters support barzani storm parliament meet sunday approve resignation opposition lawmakers barricade inside manage leave late accord party puk main rival barzani kurdish democratic party kdp decades support decision hold independence referendum half-heartedly reformist gorran party oppose vote argue time poor televise speech announce plan step barzani say followers longterm rival puk founder jalal talabani die early october guilty high treason hand oil city kirkuk iraqi force without fight two weeks ago kurdish fighters know peshmerga hold kirkuk one iraq main oil centre since 2014 seize government troop flee face advance islamic state although kirkuk outside border kurdish autonomous region kurds consider heart homeland month prime minister haidar al-abadi order force recapture dispute territory retaliation barzani stag independence referendum baghdad consider illegal iraqi body charge supervise media baghdad issue sunday ban two major kurdish tv channel close barzani kdp rudaw kurdistan 24. baghdad-based communication media commission accuse two network incite violence hatred assault freedom press expression reply erbil-based kurdistan 24 management letter international federation journalists rudaw accuse iranian-backed iraqi paramilitaries operate alongside government force monday kill kurdish journalist arkan sharif region kirkuk iraqi kurds mostly show outward unity since fall saddam hussein 2003 deep history conflict barzani kdp talabani puk fight civil war 1990s kdp base mostly around erbil regional capital puk draw support mostly suleimaniya main city region two political party run separate units peshmerga former underground guerrilla armies since become official security force kurdish autonomous region saddam fall barzani run kurdish autonomous region rival talabani serve ceremonial president iraq baghdad 2005-2014. kurdish party oppose barzani report attack offices overnight