KIRKUK, Iraq: The railway linking Baghdad to Kirkuk province will be reopened after being closed for twenty years, Transportation Minister said on Wednesday.
Transportation Minister Rezzak Muheybes es-Sadavi told reporters during a visit to Kirkuk that the railway line, has been out of service because of attacks by terror organizations, especially Daesh and wars. He said that track will be repaired and the train service will be put back into operation.
Sadavi said a joint commission has been setup by the ministry and the Kirkuk Governorate to speed up the efforts.
He noted that the repair of some bridges and structures damaged in attacks will start soon and the process is likely to be completed in a very short period of time.
The railway line, connecting Baghdad to Mosul passing through Kirkuk, will be extended to Türkiye.
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Meanwhile Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has expressed the country’s desire for an immediate and orderly negotiated exit of US-led military forces from its soil, citing their presence as destabilizing factor in the region.
Although no specific deadline has been set, Sudani emphasized the need for a reorganized relationship to prevent Iraq from becoming a target for internal or foreign interference.
Sudani insisted that Iraq can now defend itself from terrorism and should exert full sovereignty over its territory.
