The 34th Brigade of the Kurdish Peshmerga handed over security responsibility to Iraqi troops Monday, earning praise from Kurdish lawmakers.
A delegation of Kurdish officials met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to discuss the role of the Peshmerga in the predominately Kurdish areas of northern Diyala province.
The Kurdish officials praised the 34th Brigade for securing the cities of Jalawlah, Qarah Tappah and other northern areas while ensuring peace among the regional Kurdish, Arab and Turkomen communities, the media arm of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUKmedia, said Tuesday.
The departure of Kurdish forces comes as Iraqi troops Tuesday stormed the offices of Hussein al-Zubaidi, the head of security in the Diyala provincial council.
Unnamed sources for the Kuwait News Agency said Iraqi forces raided the offices early Tuesday morning, killing Zubaidi's secretary and wounding four others.
Zubaidi is a member of the Sunni Islamic Party of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, which has voiced its support for a Kurdish federal region in Iraq.
Iraqi authorities ordered a probe of the raid.
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