An increasing number of clashes have been taking place between a Kurdish opposition group in Iran and elements of the Iranian regime over the past three days.
The clashes appear to have taken place in several towns and cities in western Iran’s Kurdish region. It also appears as if members of the armed Kurdish group have targeted several Kurds accused of collaborating with the Iranian regime.
This is a reminder of the complexity in the Kurdish region. There are numerous Kurdish opposition groups, and there are also some Kurds who have worked for the regime.
A new Kurdish armed group called Xori Hiwa (Sun of Hope) took responsibility for one attack, according to online reports. Usually, when the name of a new group appears, it is only a way to segment an existing armed group but not an actual new group emerging.
“An Iranian Kurdish opposition group said on Tuesday that four of its fighters were killed in clashes with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, threatening to retaliate,” Rudaw Media Network, a news channel in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, reported.
Deadly clashes in western Iran, fighters killed on both sides
The East Kurdistan Defense Units (YRK), which is described as the armed wing of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), has been involved in the clashes, the report said, adding that the YRK members “resisted until the very last drop of their blood and were heroically martyred.”
They were killed near Mahabad.
Four rifles that the Iranian regime allegedly recovered from the scene of the clash were shown on another online report. Two of the rifles were standard AK-47s, and one of them appeared to be of a different origin.
The YRK believes the IRGC also suffered casualties in the clash.
“The IRGC and the YRK have engaged in sporadic clashes across Baneh, Paveh, and Mahabad – where the Kurdish group maintains mobile forces – since Saturday,” Rudaw Media Network reported. “Both sides have sustained casualties, with the IRGC confirming the killing of two senior Basij militia members on Monday.”
Six IRGC members were killed in a different clash on June 30.
PJAK is believed to be one of the largest Kurdish opposition groups. It is a far-left group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey considers the PKK to be a terrorist group and is wary of seeing PJAK fight the Iranian regime.
Kurdish coalition parties
Other Kurdish parties in the opposition coalition include the PDKI, PAK, Khabat, and Komala. Many of them have bases in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. Iran and Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq have targeted these Kurdish groups in recent months.
“We have not taken the side of any power, nor have we launched any attacks against the Iranian regime,” Rudaw Media Network quoted the YRK as saying.
Iran is believed to be cracking down on its Kurdish region. Tehran is also threatening the Gulf states and is involved in talks with the US.
There have been “multiple armed clashes in recent weeks between fighters of the Eastern Kurdistan Defense Units (YRK) – the armed wing of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) – and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in several cities that have left at least seven people dead, including three Iranian military personnel and four YRK guerrillas,” Hengaw, a human-rights group that closely follows Kurdish issues in Iran, reported on June 30.
“The latest clash occurred between YRK fighters and the IRGC in Mahabad on [June 28],” the report said. “YRK had previously confirmed the confrontation in a statement.” In addition, there was an armed clash “at the entrance to Baneh and at a checkpoint on the Baneh-Saqqez road between YRK fighters and Iranian security forces. The confrontation, which took place on the evening of [June 26], killed two members of the Iranian security forces, Mardin Ahmadi, a conscript from Saqqez serving his mandatory military service, and IRGC sergeant Mohammad Hossein Beigi. Four other security personnel and one civilian were also wounded.”
Another clash took place on June 10 near the Khawmirabad border area and Marivan, the report added.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has carried out at least 50 missile and suicide-drone attacks against the headquarters, camps, and residential compounds of Kurdish-Iranian opposition parties based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since the ceasefire that ended the 40-day war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel,” Hengaw reported in mid-June.
“The latest attack took place on [June 16], when Kurdish opposition party positions were once again targeted following reports of a new agreement between Iran and the United States,” the report said.