ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Unmanned Iranian drones and artillery shells struck a number of bases belonging to a Kurdish opposition group in Erbil province on Monday, an official affiliated with the group confirmed, with no casualties reported. The strikes hit the mountainous Barbzin area of Erbil, close to the Kurdistan Region-Iran border, the head of the Kurdistan Peshmerga Command – affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) armed opposition group – told Rudaw. "The unmanned drones targeted our bases with missiles causing no casualties," said official Kawa Bahrami. Monday's shelling comes six weeks after both Iranian artillery and Turkish drones struck Erbil province's Haji Omaran district bordering Iran – just days after Turkey launched its continuing air and ground campaign on suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases within Kurdistan Region borders. Since 2016, a number of the Iranian Kurdish parties including the PDKI have transferred their bases from populated areas of the Kurdistan Region to the border with Iran. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has called on armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups not to launch attacks against neighboring countries from Kurdistan Region territory. Local civilian Fakhir Taha told Rudaw via telephone that "a number of cowherders who are out letting their animals graze are stuck." Ibrahim Nadir, a cowherder who had put his animals out to pasture in Barbzin, told Rudaw via telephone that he saw "Iranian artillery shells hit a [KDPI's] base." "I saw a vehicle leaving the base. I'm not sure if it was rushing out the injured or not," Nadir said. "We're safe and sound, but scared of the artillery shelling. We're stuck in hiding," he added.
