SPACE WIRE
US-backed Kurdish forces seize two towns near Kirkuk
ALTUN KUTRI, Iraq (AFP) Apr 10, 2003
 Coalition backed Kurdish forces pushing towards the government-controlled oil city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq seized the towns of Makhmur and Altun Kubri, a senior Kurdish security source said Thursday.

"Makhmur and Altun Kutri have fallen," said Mustafa Kakamin, commander for the Arbil region, told AFP in reference to the two towns located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Kirkuk.

Artillery rounds could be heard in the Altun Kutri region on Thursday morning, an AFP correspondent reported.

Kirkuk and the other main northern city of Mosul are still controlled by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein's toppled regime and are the main objectives of the three-week-old joint coalition and Kurdish rebel military push in northern Iraq.

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