Reports say the Iraqi army and the Hashd al-Shaabi forces under them are preparing to take over the Sêmalka and Khabur border gates between Rojava and Southern Kurdistan and Northern Kurdistan and Southern Kurdistan respectively.

There are reports that the Iraqi army and Hashd al-Shaabi forces are advancing along the Rojava-Southern Kurdistan border from the Rabia town to the north of Mosul, to take over the Sêmelka Border Gate, and later on the Khabur Border Gate.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi had previously made a statement demanding the Southern Kurdistan Administration to hand over the border gates and airports under their control.

Iraqi media reports that the Iraqi central government has given the Southern Kurdistan government a deadline until the centrally appointed officers settle in the border gates.

Reports say the central government has given the Southern Kurdistan government 12 hours to turn over all the border gates, and will launch a military operation if the Southern Kurdistan government doesn’t accept.

The Iraqi army and the Hashd al-Shaabi forces have stockpiled tanks and military vehicles in the Rabia town for the attack, while the KDP media report clashes between Peshmerga forces and Hashd al-Shaabi in the Mahmudiyah subdistrict near Rabia.

The Turkish and Iraqi armies had started military exercises on the Turkish side of the border before the referendum, and claimed that a new border gate was to be opened through Ovaköy as an alternative to Khabur.

Iraqi army reaching the Northern Kurdistan border along the Rojava border from Rabia town will also make the Ovaköy project possible.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi will visit Turkey tomorrow to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.