Kurdish armed group blames Iran for deadly drone attack in Kurdistan Region

7 hours ago
Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian opposition group, Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), said on Wednesday that Iran had carried out a “missile and drone” attack on one of its headquarters in the Kurdistan Region, killing a member of its armed wing.

PAK, which originates from Kurdish areas of Iran and has bases in the Kurdistan Region, said the strike targeted a base of its armed wing, the Kurdistan National Army, in the early hours of Wednesday without specifying the location. A video the group posted on Facebook showed the aftermath of the purported attack.

“The occupying state of Iran once again targeted a [military] base of the Kurdistan National Army with a missile and drone attack several times,” the statement said.

PAK announced the death of Mozaffar Mohammadzada, known as Nabaz, identifying him as a member of the party who also served in the logistics unit of the Kurdistan National Army. The group added that he “joined the caravan of martyrs of the Befranbar (January) uprising of Kurdistan,” referring to recent widespread protests in Iran.

Iran has witnessed nationwide demonstrations since late December, triggered by a historic currency collapse that saw the rial hit a record low. An internet blackout and disrupted telephone lines have made it difficult for media outlets and monitoring groups to verify casualty figures.

PAK has endorsed the demonstrations and stated that its forces recently carried out attacks on Iranian forces, claiming casualties on the opposing side.

“We assure the occupying enemy that the children of Kurdistan will never be brought to their knees by their attacks and violence,” PAK said on Wednesday, adding that “the path toward expelling them and achieving independence will only become more crowded [with people].”

As of Wednesday, at least 4,519 people have been killed during three weeks of protests, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which relies on a network of activists inside Iran to verify reported fatalities. The group also said nearly 6,000 people were “seriously injured” and more than 26,000 arrested.

Since the start of the protests, Kurdish opposition parties in Iran have sought to foster unity amid the escalating unrest.

In early January, seven political parties from the Dialogue Center for Inter-Party Cooperation in Iranian Kurdistan held a high-level meeting, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) said at the time. The alliance includes the PAK.

According to the statement, participants expressed “full support for the nationwide protests and popular uprisings against the Islamic Republic,” emphasizing the need for “effective joint cooperation to strengthen these movements.”

Iran has not commented on Wednesday's deadly attack on PAK.

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