The Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq deploys Peshmerga soldiers to block Iraqi government troops from reaching a border point with Syria.<br/> <br />Last week, soldiers from an Iraqi army brigade were moved to a Kurdish-controlled border crossing point in order to monitor the increasing violence over the border in Syria.<br/> <br />So far the Kurdish forces have denied them access.<br/> <br />Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki condemned the move saying the troops were deployed to prevent the violence in Syria from spilling over into Iraq. He stressed it wasn't about targeting the Kurdistan region.<br/> <br />Since the last U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in December, disputed areas between autonomous Kurdistan and Baghdad have been seen as a potential flashpoint for conflict.<br/> <br />Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
