At least nine people were killed and 30 others wounded during the fighting in the town of Tuz Khurmatu that broke out when a small explosion near the positions of the two sides sparked shootings between the communities in neighborhoods across the town.

The violence also cut a strategic road between the capital, Baghdad, and the northern city of Kirkuk, security sources said.

The death toll from clashes, which continued on Sunday morning, is expected to rise because snipers were preventing people from carrying the injured to hospital.

The two sides’ delegations are scheduled to hold discussions in Tuz Khurmatu later on Sunday to try to settle the dispute as military reinforcements are reportedly gathering outside the town.

Iraq has been engaged in the fight against the Takfiri Daesh (ISIS / ISIL) terrorists since the summer of 2014, when the militants took control of the major city of Mosul in the north and some other areas in the country.

Both the Peshmerga and volunteer fighters have assisted the army of Iraq in the battle. The allied forces have managed to liberate several cities and towns from Daesh over the past months.

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