Iraq prime minister visits Erbil for talks

ERBIL, Iraq

Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Erbil on Saturday for talks with officials in the country's northern Kurdish region.

The talks are expected to tackle recent developments in Iraq and current tensions between Iran and the U.S. following last week's killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. drone airstrike outside Baghdad airport.

Iran retaliated to the assassination with firing dozen ballistic missiles on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq.

Upon arrival, Abdul-Mahdi met with president of the Kurdish regional government Nechirvan Barzani, according to an Anadolu Agency reporter.

The Iraqi premier is also set to meet with Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani during the visit.

Iraq has been rocked by protests since October against poor living conditions and corruption, forcing Abdul-Mahdi to resign.