The Iraqi parliament has given a "mandate" to Prime Minister Haider Abadi to deploy troops in Iraqi Kurdistan's disputed province of Kirkuk.

The Iraqi parliament has also instructed the government to retake oil fields in the Kirkuk province and the areas disputed with Kurds. It also ruled out a dialogue with Erbil until the outcomes of the referendum are canceled.

The development comes as the oil province of Kirkuk, which is claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil, took part in the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independence on Monday.

The the referendum commission said that some 91.83 percent of voters in Iraqi Kurdistan supported the idea of independence from Baghdad, as 3.4 million ballots were counted. Local Rudaw broadcaster said that the city of Kirkuk, the administrative center of Kirkuk province, showed a large voter turnout.

Following the event,

The authorities of the Kirkuk province decided to join the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independece in August despite the region has large concentrations of Arabs and was controlled by the federal government. Baghdad has spoken out against the vote, questioning its legality.

Iraqi Kurdistan made the decision to hold the independence referendum in June. Following the announcement, the Iraqi government, as well as a number of foreign countries, including Turkey and the United States, have criticized the move.