Iraq: Kurdish voters celebrate early in Kirkuk for likely 'Yes' vote in referendum

Kurdish voters celebrated in the streets of Kirkuk, Monday, ahead of an expected 'yes' vote in the historic Kurdish independence referendum.
Kurdish voters flooded the streets of Kirkuk honking their car horns, waving their flags, dancing and shooting celebratory gun shots into the air between spates of oncoming traffic. Many Kurds in Kirkuk see today as an opportunity to decide their future.
Polling stations opened at 08:00 am local time (05:00 GMT) and will stay open until 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Monday.
The referendum is opposed by Baghdad as well as neighbouring Iran and Turkey, which also have Kurdish areas seeking independence. The Turkmen and Arab communities in regions that will be affected by the referendum have also stated their opposition to the secession attempt.