Q&A: Mohammed Zain Abedin, Hashid commander in Kirkuk

KIRKUK - Paramiiltary groups organized under the government's al-Hashid al-Shabi (Popular Mobilization) program are massed outside Kirkuk following the liberation of Hawija from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Tensions are running high after the Kurdistan Regional Government's Sept. 25 non-binding indpendence referendum. By including Kirkuk in the vote, the KRG implicitly signaled that the oil-rich territory – which is claimed by both the federal government and the Kurdistan region – was included in its secession plans.