Missile attacks target Iranian Kurdish group in Sulaimani: Official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two missiles struck a base linked to the Iranian Kurdish opposition group Komala near Sulaimani on Monday, a senior member of the group said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The attack occurred around 4pm, targeting a water storage facility at the Surdash camp, the official said, noting that missiles were used.

No one was injured as “the camp has been completely evacuated,” the official added.

He also said surveillance drones were spotted overhead, apparently monitoring the area.

Iran and its allied Iraqi armed groups have resumed strikes on the Kurdistan Region despite a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington announced on April 8. Over 20 attacks have been recorded since the truce, according to Rudaw’s tracking.

The leftist Komala party, established in 1979, currently operates through three separate branches.

The Surdash camp has repeatedly come under missile and drone attacks claimed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the weekend, the camp endured two additional missile strikes targeting several buildings, including a food storage facility and a weapons depot.

Two hours after the United States announced an extension of the ceasefire over a week ago, Iran targeted another opposition group, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), near Erbil with four drones. A politburo member told Rudaw that five people were injured in that attack.

The Kurdistan Region’s prime minister has previously warned that the continued strikes are “an effort to undermine the ceasefire and further harm our region,” adding that at least five people have been killed since the truce between Iran and the US.

Tehran considers Iranian Kurdish opposition groups an existential threat - a concern that intensified following the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022. What began as a call for women’s rights evolved into nationwide anti-government demonstrations, during which hundreds were killed and thousands arrested.

Iran has accused these groups of fueling the unrest, leading to a security agreement with the Iraqi government in September 2023 to disarm and relocate them. Although they have since been moved away from border areas and placed in camps across the Kurdistan Region, Iran has continued to target their positions, describing the strikes as preemptive.