Kurdish opposition groups deny claims of ground offensive in Rojhelat

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have categorically rejected reports by some international media outlets claiming that their forces had crossed into the predominantly Kurdish western Iran (Rojhelat) to fight the Islamic Republic amid an ongoing coordinated US-Israel attack on the country.

An official from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, affirmed, “None of our forces have entered the territory of Eastern Kurdistan [Rojhelat].”

“Such media reports are intended to create divisions within the coalition of East Kurdistan forces and are not true,” he stressed.

Last week, five Iranian Kurdish opposition parties announced the formation of the Coalition of Kurdistan Parties - new political alliance aimed at unifying efforts against the Islamic republic and advancing Kurdish self-determination. Komala initially held of joining the alliance. The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan on Wednesday joined the alliance, too.

Similarly, a source from Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan also strongly rejected the media reports in comments to Rudaw.

“We are on standby for all possibilities, but none of our forces have entered Rojhelat so far. Reports suggesting otherwise are false,” the Komala official emphasized.

The remarks follow a report by Fox News on Thursday, which cited an unnamed “US government official” alleging that “thousands of Iraqi Kurds” had launched a ground offensive into Iran.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press, citing an official from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) - an Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in the Kurdistan Region - reported that some of its forces had moved to areas near the Iranian border in the Region’s eastern Sulaimani province and were on standby.

That latter report came less than an hour after a base belonging to the PAK was struck by suspected Iranian projectiles, which the group said killed one of its fighters and wounded others.

Despite this, an official from the PAK’s operations office also told Rudaw that claims of Kurdish opposition groups crossing into Rojhelat to fight the Islamic Republic are false.
“Such reports are baseless,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Aziz Ahmad, an advisor to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, dismissed the reports that any “Iraqi Kurd” had crossed into Iran.

“Not a single Iraqi Kurd has crossed the border,” Ahmad wrote on X. “This is patently false.”