Kurdish opposition group launches anew armed struggle against Iranian government

The group's Peshmerga forces, which includes both men and women, reaffirmed they would sacrifice their lives to bring freedom to the people of Iran.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Society of Revolutionary Toilers of Iranian Kurdistan, known as Komalah, resumed their armed struggle against the Iranian government ahead of the elections to be held on May 19.

“We have retaken up our armed fight to defend workers, Kulbers, and the families of those killed by the Iranian government,” Ibrahim Minsham, a Komalah commander told Kurdistan24 on Saturday.

Ibrahim Minsham, a commander of Komalah in an interview with Kurdistan24, May 13, 2017. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
Ibrahim Minsham, a commander of Komalah in an interview with Kurdistan24, May 13, 2017. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Minsham mentioned that the group would continue to defend the people of Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat) against Tehran.

The group's Peshmerga forces, which includes both men and women, reaffirmed they would sacrifice their lives to bring freedom to the people of Iran.

“Peshmerga soldiers get martyred for the sake of Kurdish freedom in Iran,” a female Peshmerga told Kurdistan24. “Peshmerga means courage and combating tyranny.”

An Iranian Kurdish female Peshmerga of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
An Iranian Kurdish female Peshmerga of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

“I felt injustice and tyranny imposed on us. That is why I joined Komalah: to gain my rights and the rights of all workers in Rojhilat,” another Peshmerga from the group stated.

An Iranian Kurdish Peshmerga of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
An Iranian Kurdish Peshmerga of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Komalah was founded by a group of Kurdish workers in Rojhilat in 1969 and officially established in 1979. After a decades-long ceasefire, it is the third Kurdish opposition group to restart its armed struggle against Iran, following the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Iran (PDKI) and Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Iranian Kurdish Peshmerga fighters of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
Iranian Kurdish Peshmerga fighters of Komala. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

In the past few years, Iran has repeatedly bombed the Kurdistan Region border, targeting the Kurdish rebel groups in the area.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has also called on both Kurdish opposition groups and the Iranian government to put an end to these clashes and not to transform the Kurdistan Region territory into a battlefield.

 

Editing by G.H. Renaud

(Teyfur Mohammed contributed to this report)