Iraqi forces Monday took control of the governor's office in Kirkuk, the federal police chief said, as they pursued an operation to take back parts of the disputed province from Kurdish fighters.

The provincial headquarters were empty when they were seized, General Raed Jawdat said.

A source within the provincial administration said Kirkuk governor Najm Eddine Karim, who has refused to step down since being sacked over the province taking part in a controversial independence vote last month, was not there at the time.