Erbil, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Wednesday attacked positions belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) dissident group near Erbil with several drones, the group said in a statement. The assault comes against the backdrop of renewed US-Iran escalation over the past 24 hours.
"At 2:00 to 2:40 am [local time] on Wednesday morning, the Islamic Republic [of Iran] targeted the bases and headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran," the KDPI said in a statement.
“In the first strike, the Balisan heights” northeast of Erbil “were targeted by three drones,” and shortly after, the Jezhnikan camp that “serves as a residential site for KDPI members' families” north of the Kurdish capital, was also struck, the statement said.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, the KDPI said its “family camps and medical and educational facilities had been targeted by more than 156 [Iranian] missiles and drones.”
The US and Israel in late February launched a joint aerial campaign, striking thousands of targets across Iran over six weeks.
Tehran responded with thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - while also launching retaliatory strikes against Israel.
Iran and Tehran-backed Iraqi armed groups operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) umbrella have launched roughly 1,000 missiles and drones since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Rudaw tracking through early August.
Many of the attacks have targeted Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Region, leaving at least 32 people dead and around 150 wounded, according to Rudaw monitoring.
The assaults come despite Kurdish leaders repeatedly stressing that Kurdistan Region is not a party to the conflict and affirming neutrality.
Wednesday's attacks on KDPI positions came as the US and Iran were locked in a new round of escalation Tuesday evening through the early hours of Wednesday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had "completed" a wave of strikes against Iranian military targets, as Tehran signaled its response was underway
In Erbil, US-led Global Coalition forces shot down 10 explosive-laden drones in the province in the early hours of Wednesday, the Kurdistan Region's counter-terrorism agency reported.
RELATED: Coalition Forces intercept 10 drones over Erbil: CTD
