Iraqi Kurd faction propose reconciliation

An Iraqi Kurdish faction says it's written to a rival group in northern Iraq seeking reconciliation to try to establish a permanent peace in the region.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said its leader, Jalal Talabani, had sent a letter to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzani, suggesting ways of resolving problems between the groups, which have clashed frequently in recent years.

Correspondents say a major disagreement centres on revenue from an illicit cross-border trade in diesel fuel conducted between KDP-held territory and Turkey.

The sides agreed on their latest ceasefire in November, after clashes violating an earlier ceasefire brokered by Western powers.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service