Tensions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq (KDP) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have sharply escalated amid claims that a PKK-linked Syrian militia that is backed by the United States attacked Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces early Wednesday, with potential consequences for the US-led coalition mission in Syria.

Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), issued a statement saying a large group of fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) had attacked the peshmerga using heavy weapons. The YPG is the dominant force in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “I call upon our friends and partners in the Global Coalition to ensure that the YPG does not repeat this act of aggression. The YPG cannot be allowed to exploit foreign assistance to launch attacks on our territory.” 

He warned, “Any repeat would be seriously damaging to regional security.” 

Sarbast Lazgeen, the deputy minister for peshmerga affairs in the KRG, told a news conference that eight PKK fighters had sought to cross into Iraqi Kurdistan south of the Fish Khabur border crossing and were warned away; the peshmerga forces were deployed near the Khabur River separating Iraq from Syria.