Both of the slain fighters were from the Kurdish west of Iran. Mahdi Razai, nom de guerre Zagros Mani, from Kermanshah and Ako Fathi, nom de guerre Shawgar Chiya, from Sanandaj were killed on February 4, 2021 in the Chami Shler area of Penjwin.
“On the mentioned date, two people visited a group of our comrades at Chami Shler. The two were already on a planned visit when they met our comrades and carried out their gruesome plan when they got the chance,” read a statement from PJAK co-presidency released on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) affiliated media Roj News.
Razai had served as PJAK’s media director during his life, the statement added.
Established in 2003, PJAK is considered the Iranian wing of the PKK, but PJAK claims it is linked only by shared ideology.
Both the PKK and PJAK use the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a safe haven from which to launch attacks on Turkish and Iranian security forces.
PJAK has lost 300 fighters in clashes with Iranian security forces and in shelling by both Iran and Turkey since the group's foundation, according to a written statement sent to Rudaw English by senior PJAK member Ahvand Chiako in July.
Iran has previously targeted groups in the Kurdistan Region. On September 8, 2018, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched seven ballistic missiles at the headquarters of two Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region town of Koya, killing 18 people.
Turkey and Iran have previously held talks about shared border security and cooperation against smugglers and armed factions.
