Iranian Forces In Conflict With PJAK
Shahriyar Heydari, the head of the Kermanshah Provincial Security Forces, reports that eight Revolutionary Guards were killed or injured in conflicts with the Kurdish militant group Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).
The Fars News Agency reports that on Tuesday, four members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps were killed and four were injured in conflicts with PJAK forces.
According to this report, PJAK forces also sustained casualties, but no estimates were available.
News sources linked to the Iranian military claim PJAK forces “took advantage of the topography of the area” to make their surprise attack. The attacks took place as the border region of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran was being targeted by Iranian artillery bombings.
Iraqi Kurdistan media report that Turkey has also begun attacks in its border region with Iraqi Kurdistan.
Iranian and Turkish authorities claim these border regions are sheltering the militant dissident Kurdish groups PKK and PJAK, but the Kurdistan Regional Government denies the charges.
Eight months ago, heavy shelling of the border regions by Iran and Turkey led to the death of at least 10 civilians, and hundreds of residents lost their homes.
PJAK claims to fight for the rights of Kurdish people in Iran, but Iran regards it as a terrorist group.
PKK claims to fight for the rights of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.
