ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that its forces had killed two members of the Kurdish Iranian opposition group, the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), in western Iran (Rojhelat), accusing them of attempting to infiltrate the country to carry out attacks.
The incident follows an intensifying series of clashes between the IRGC and the Eastern Kurdistan Units (YRK), PJAK's armed wing, in Rojhelat.
The IRGC ground forces’ Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhada headquarters reported that the incident took place on Wednesday after border forces in West Azerbaijan province tracked the pair, according to a statement carried by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.
“The two-member team was completely destroyed,” the statement claimed, adding that Iranian forces had recovered their bodies, weapons and equipment, including Starlink satellite equipment.
Tasnim also published a video purportedly showing the body of one of the slain PJAK fighters.
PJAK has not publicly commented on the incident.
The alleged clash comes amid continued Iranian military operations against Kurdish opposition groups in Rojhelat. Tehran is believed to have intensified its crackdown on Kurdish fighters in the region since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran in late February.
The Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported on Wednesday that there had been drone and heavy-weapon attacks around Mariwan also in Rojhelat. The network told Rudaw English that the strikes began at around 7:30 am, lasted about an hour and were followed by a continued Iranian military presence in the area. The network had no information about casualties.
In a separate statement on Thursday, YRK also reported attacks in the vicinity of Marivan, saying homes and agricultural land had been damaged.
The KHRN said the targeted mountainous areas around Marivan have no permanent residents but are used by locals for agricultural purposes.
According to the network, Iranian forces have conducted similar operations in other mountainous areas, warning residents in advance and barring access for two weeks.
PJAK has longstanding ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). In April 2003, around 250 Iranian Kurdish members of the PKK gathered in the Qandil Mountains to establish PJAK. While PJAK focused its armed struggle on Iran, some Iranian Kurdish members remained with the PKK and operated in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.
