[link to www.newser.com]

The commander of Kurdish Peshmerga forces warned Tuesday that his troops might attack Iraqi government soldiers at "any minute" after the central government sent tanks and armored vehicles toward the disputed city of Kirkuk.

"A big battle might erupt any minute," commander Mahmoud Sankawi told The Associated Press. His Peshmerga forces control security in the Kurdish autonomous region and are also present in disputed areas that Kurds seek to add to their self-ruled are. "We are on high alert. We will not allow any force to threaten the security of Kurdistan. We will resist them," he said.