a fighters from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) had violated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday evening. The PUK said the same positions were attacked on Tuesday morning. There was no information on casualties. The KDP has demanded the withdrawal of PUK forces from territory captured in recent fighting, and its 72-hour deadline for their withdrawal expired on Monday after inconclusive Western-sponsored talks in Ankara to reinforce the ceasefire. A representative of the KDP, which is led by Massoud Barzani, said the violation was insignificant and was sparked by the rival group. The United States, a peace broker along with Britain and Turkey, announced the latest ceasefire on Friday to end a week of fierce clashes. The agreement calls on both sides to return to positions held before fighting started on October 13. Jalal Talabani's PUK has demanded a decision on the status of the regional capital Arbil, wrested from its control by KDP forces last year with the help of Iraqi troops. It also seeks the division of funds from the lucrative oil trade run by the KDP. The PUK said in a statement that 370 people, relatives of its members and other non-KDP groups, had been expelled from Arbil and sent to PUK areas after being stripped of their belongings. Iraqi observers said Talabani's forces were unlikely to withdraw from the heights they have captured overlooking key KDP communication points. Fighting between the two groups has erupted frequently since Baghdad lost control of northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War.