Clashes erupt between Kurdish and Iranian forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran (known as PDKI) announced on June 18 that the party’s Peshmerga forces killed six Iranian soldiers in Shino (Oshnaviah), north east of Iran.

On Friday, renewed clashes broke out between Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the PDKI Peshmerga forces in the surrounding areas of Shino.

PDKI did not release any figures on how many Peshmerga lost their lives, but stated on its website that “some of our Peshmerga were martyred.” 

The group announced on June 16 that Peshmerga forces killed an Iranian soldier following the Revolutionary Guards’ attack on their forces in Piranshar, east of Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat).

On June 15, clashes erupted when Iranian troops opened fire on a group of PDKI forces near the village of Qarasaqil in Shino.

At the time, PDKI sources claimed 11 Iranian forces, including the army’s deputy commander, were killed, and five others wounded.

Iranian media, quoting military commanders, confirmed the confrontations with the Kurdish forces but stated that only three Iranian soldiers were killed.

Shorsh Ibrahimi, a PDKI Peshmerga commander, told Kurdistan24, “We were attacked by Iranian forces near the village of Qarasaqil and, to defend ourselves, we engaged in a fight with the enemy’s army.”

After the clashes, Iranian artillery started shelling the village, destroying civilians’ homes, killing one person.

Mohamad Sahebi, a member of PDKI’s Central Committee, told BasNews that PDKI Peshmerga forces will repel any attack on their units by Iranian forces.

Iran has reportedly deployed militaries near Shino and Piranshar.

In late February, Loghman Ahmedi, head of PDKI’s Foreign Relations, told Kurdistan24 in an email interview that a peaceful solution with the Iranian regime is impossible when it comes to Kurdish political and cultural demands.

“Therefore, our decision [to start armed resistance] is fundamentally linked to our people’s desire to attain freedom from the Islamic regime in Tehran,” Ahmedi stated.

PDKI was founded in the city of Mahabad in Rojhalat on Aug. 16, 1945. According to party officials, PDKI has been the forefront of resistance against Iranian regimes for more than 70 years.

Editing by Ava Homa and Karzan Sulaivany