Baghdad, October 2017: Iraqi forces took over more oil fields near the city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, along with the town of Sinjar, as they expanded a pushback against Kurdish control of areas outside of their semi-autonomous region.

The military said Kurd fighters withdrew from the Bai Hasan and Avana oil fields, leaving federal security forces to take over.

A similar dynamic played out in Sinjar where pro-government forces moved into the town Tuesday after the Kurdish Peshmerga moved out.

Tuesday's developments followed a swift move by government forces Monday to capture the Kirkuk governor's office, key military sites and an oil field. The U.S.-trained troops, acting on orders from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, raised Iraqi flags.

Kurds had held the city since 2014 when they secured it against Islamic State fighters. But the central government had demanded they relinquish control, and moved to act following a Kurd independence referendum last month.(VOA)