KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region – People began lining up in the early hours of the morning to cast their votes in the historic referendum for independence in the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk, home to Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen.
Celebrations have taken place under the watchful eye of various security forces.
78. 7 percent of the eligible voters took part in the vote on Monday, according to the Kurdish electoral commission.
Kirkuk’s Governor Najmaldin Karim urged revelers to not shoot their guns in the air, but to remain calm.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the deployment of forces to disputed areas, including Kirkuk which is under Peshmerga control.
A curfew came into effect after polls close.