France 24:

The UN Security Council on Thursday warned that a referendum on independence by Iraq's Kurdistan region was potentially destabilizing, adding its weight to international opposition to the vote.

In a unanimous statement, the 15-member council said the referendum planned for Monday could hinder efforts to help refugees return home and weaken the military campaign against the Islamic State group.

The move heightened pressure on Iraqi Kurd leaders to call off the vote after Turkey, Iran and Iraq urged them to abandon the plan that is also opposed by the United States.

Council members "expressed concern over the potentially destabilizing impact of the Kurdistan regional government's plans to unilaterally hold a referendum next week," said the statement.

"The planned referendum is scheduled to be held while counter-ISIL (Daesh) operations -- in which Kurdish forces have played a critical role -- are ongoing," it added.

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