Iranian bombardment on Kurdistan Region border injures civilians

Iranian artillery shelled the Kurdistan Region border with Iran on Sunday and injured four civilians, said a Kurdistan24 reporter.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iranian artillery shelled the Kurdistan Region border with Iran on Sunday and injured four civilians, said a Kurdistan24 reporter.

On Sunday morning, Iranian artilleries began to heavily shell Haji Omaran and Sidakan areas in the Province of Erbil located on the Kurdistan border with Iran.

The bombarded areas were Allana, Barbzin, Darhol, Binparezan, Katina, and Berkim, according to Kurdistan24 reporter Teyfur Mihemed in Sidakan.

[The shelled areas by Iranian artilleries in northeastern Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region, June 26, 2016. (Photo: National Geographic Map/Edited at Kurdistan24)]

 

The Mayor of Sidakan town Karwan Karimkhan told Kurdistan24 that Iranian jets had bombarded 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of the Region’s border in Sidakan.

Karimkhan stated that the artilleries targeted Kurdistan Democratic Party – Iran (PDKI) Peshmerga fighters. He explained that Tehran believes the Kurdish forces have bases in the area.

“The bombardments have forced villagers to leave their home and move to a safer place,” Mihemed said.

“People are scared and nervous about the bombardments. They don’t want to return home,” the reporter added.

Mihemed also mentioned that the bombardments have injured four civilians, including 10-year-old Ani Ibrahim, 11-year-old Nahida Sultan, 25-year-old Karwan Abdullah, and 8-year-old Ali Ibrahim.

“All of them have been transferred to Choman Hospital to receive proper medical treatment; however, the health condition of Abdullah is unstable, and he is expected to be moved to a hospital in Erbil,” Mihemed explained.

The bombardment has left villages extensively damaged, especially the villagers’ fields that have been burnt.

Recently, clashes erupted between Iranian soldiers and PDKI Peshmerga fighters in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat). The clashes have continued in Mahabad and Mariwan areas in the past few days.

On June 15, violence broke out when Iranian troops opened fire on a group of PDKI forces near the village of Qarasaqil in Shino (Oshnaviah), north east of Iran.

PDKI sources announced 11 Iranian troops, including the army’s deputy commander, were killed, and five others wounded in those clashes.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Teyfur Mihemed contributed to this report from Sidakan)