ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iran has resumed shelling within the Kurdistan Region targeting Barbzinan area in Sidakan, a few kilometres within the Region’s northeastern borders in the Soran district of Erbil province Saturday morning, Rudaw's correspondent reported.
Mustafa Mawludi, deputy secretary general of Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran (KDP-I), told Rudaw English that Iranian forces had been attacking locals in the border areas since Friday evening with light weapons. The attacks have continued up until six o'clock Saturday morning. This has led to the death of one kolbar (porter) he said.
Mawludi said the shelling began only Saturday morning. He added that his party did not have any direct clashes Friday or Saturday with Iranian security forces.
The kolbar who was killed, according to Choman hospital in the Kurdistan Region, is named Salah Boraka. He is a Kurdish man from Iranian Kurdistan. Another Kurdish citizen who was with him, Khurshid Khasraw, was injured and received treatment in the hospital.
According to our reporter on the ground, Bakhtyar Qadir, a drone was within view Saturday morning, flying around the area. He also said clashes had erupted in Garuymirachin village in Sidakan district and that gunfire could be heard.
The shelling from Iran has not resulted in loss of life or injuries as of yet, but local people who live in the area are worried about their safety, Qadir reported. As a result of the shelling, some 70 families have been displaced.
Saturday morning the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) said on its twitter account that “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary guard begun shelling PDKI bases and civilian populated regions this morning.”
#Iran's Islamic revolutionary guard begun shelling #PDKI bases & civilian populated regions this morning. #TwitterKurds #Kurdistan #Rojhelat
— PDKI (@PDKIRAN) September 17, 2016
Iran has shelled Kurdish areas inside Kurdistan Region on several occasions, with the pretext of the presence of armed Kurdish groups on its border.
In June, five civilians were wounded in attacks in the same area, including three children.
Last month, cross-border shelling caused the displacement of tens of families and burned of farmers’ fields.
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