ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) advance to the oil fields in Golajo on Sunday morning came as a result of a prior agreement between parts of the Peshmerga forces, affiliated to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in the area, and Iraqi forces, a local official told The New Region.

Hundreds of PMF fighters, accompanied by dozens of military vehicles and shovel trucks were spotted near Golajo subdistrict, one of many disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad.

The force, heavily armed, had tried to take control over several oil wells in the area, that were previously protected by Garmian administration’s oil and gas police.

“There are oil fields that were contracted recently to Emirati and Turkish companies and their protection has been handed over to the PMF through an agreement between Iraq and Peshmerga forces,” the mayor of Qara Tapa Wasfi al-Tamimi told The New Region.

Earlier in the day, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) branch in Garmian told The New Region that the PMF force were heavily armed and were setting up base.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), whose Peshmerga troops are in charge of protecting the area, said that the PMF advance was unacceptable.

“The advance of the PMF to Garmian and the Chalaw Khalid oil field is a violation of their territory and was without prior notice of the forces in the area,” PUK’s official outlet quoted a senior source as saying.

“We have asked of the Central government to immediately withdraw the force, because such violations are unacceptable,” the source was quoted as saying.

Security sources in the area earlier told The New Region that the force had told the local oil and gas police that they were going to stay there for three days and had directly spoken to PUK chief Bafel Talabani.

The PMF force was seen retreating from the area after several hours, however it is yet to be certain if the retreat is temporary or permanent.

Golajo is among many areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. For years following the territorial defeat of ISIS, the area suffered from hit-and-run attacks from ISIS remnants due to security gap areas between Iraqi and Kurdish forces.