baghdad/kirkuk baghdad government recapture territory kurds across breadth northern iraq tuesday make startlingly rapid gain sudden campaign shift balance power country almost overnight second day lightning government advance take back towns countryside force kurdish autonomous region kurdish troop know peshmerga pull long dispute khanaqin area near iranian border government troop take control last two oilfields vicinity kirkuk oil city million people peshmerga abandon previous day face government force advance yazidi group ally baghdad also take control town sinjar baghdad military operation redrawn map northern iraq roll back gain kurds infuriate baghdad last month hold referendum independence iraqi prime minister haider al-abadi say tuesday referendum finish become thing past address news conference baghdad call dialogue kurdish leaders constitution kurdish regional government krg president masoud barzani say vote independence vain call dialogue add kurds always wag war work pursuit peace krg govern three mountainous northern provinces make autonomous region also hold wide crescent additional territory northern iraq much seize help drive islamic state militants since 2014. abadi order troop monday raise flag kurdish-held territory outside autonomous region achieve swift victory kirkuk reach center city less day fight one iraq main oil-producing areas help return risk premium oil price months range-bound trade benchmark brent crude 58 barrel almost third mid-year level oil officials baghdad say field near kirkuk work normally tuesday last come central government control kirkuk situate outside krg autonomous region base iraq northern oil company one two giant state energy firm provide nearly government revenue oil minister jabar al-luaibi say baghdad would try nearly double output kirkuk oil field million barrel per day iraqi army advance create dilemma washington arm train side successful campaign drive islamic state insurgents iraq like fact clash u.s. president donald trump tell reporters white house monday many years good relationship kurds know also side iraq far advance appear come unopposed kurds withdraw government force move report one serious battle early hours monday outskirts kirkuk u.s. military say tuesday receive mix account death toll clash three 11 combatants kill international committee red cross say transfer control appear take place minimum fight number wound high dozens icrc regional deputy director patrick hamilton tell reuters concern roads close especially access mosul former islamic state urban battlefield hundreds thousands people still depend aid kirkuk one iraq diverse cities members turkmen ethnic group oppose kurdish rule celebrate monday drive streets fire weapons air tuesday ubiquitous green red white kurdish flag blaze yellow sun vanish streets u.s.-trained iraqi special force local police patrol maintain order market shop school open normal kurdish families leave city monday already return home say thousands kurdish fighters convoy form long queue efforts flee kirkuk towards kurdish regional capital erbil clog road make difficult civilians leave kurds loss territory particularly kirkuk kurdish folklore view heart homeland severe blow three weeks vote declare independent state goal decades leaders abandon us middle nowhere future dark say retire kirkuk teacher malla bakhtiyar say try escape monday return wife sons arab neighbor phone beg leave assure city safe university lecturer salar othman ameen blame kurdish authorities call independence referendum prematurely feel break referendum catastrophic decision ... kurdish leadership suppose think consequences move along independence vote lose achieve three decades setbacks lead recriminations among two main kurdish political party kdp puk control separate units peshmerga barzani say political rival order withdrawal kurdish force kirkuk officials kdp accuse puk long-time rival jalal talabani treason abandon city talabani serve ceremonial iraqi president baghdad 2003 2014 die two weeks ago widow deny blame fall kirkuk say party try avert advance contact u.s. iraqi officials advance second resound triumph abadi soft-spoken iraqi prime minister months force recapture mosul islamic state abadi face threats iran-backed shi ite arm group take matter hand act decisively take kurds elections hold tomorrow would vote 10 finger abadi succeed keep iraq single state say adel abdul kareem baghdad lawyer kurdish leaders threaten baghdad abadi always smile expect hide tornado behind smile prove smart leader wisdom masoud barzani knockout second round kurds loss kirkuk restore status quo place seize 2014 saw self-ruled region prosper iraqi constitution guarantee fix percentage iraq total oil income control kirkuk oil make seem plausible break away without independence problematic since would financially bad inside iraq share overall oil income kurds abandon territory face iraq government advance