Shoaib Zarei, a 33-year-old member of the Komala of Revolutionary Toilers of Iranian Kurdistan (Shorshger), was shot dead near the group’s base in the town of Zirgwez, south of Sulaimani city. The party said in a statement that Zarei was assassinated by “mercenaries” from Iran.
A source from the group told Rudaw on Saturday evening that Zarei was killed by a friend who was an ex-member of the party.
“The suspect was previously a Komala fighter. He was banned from entering the party’s camp and bases by the security committee, but he exploited his friendship with Shoaib Zarei and killed him,” the source said.
After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle, but was later arrested by local security forces (Asayish) in Penjwen, on the border with Iran, the source added.
“We expect the Asayish and security agencies of the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] to shorten the evil and black hand of terrorism of the Islamic republic in Bashur [Kurdistan Region] and protect the sons of Rojhelat [Iran’s western Kurdish regions],” read the statement from Komala.
Komala is one of several Iranian-Kurdish opposition parties with bases in the Kurdistan Region. Tehran describes these groups as “terrorists” and has frequently carried out cross-border air and ground operations claiming to be targeting the groups.
A security pact signed between Iran and Iraq in March 2023 saw Baghdad agree to disarm the groups and secure the border regions. Iran had threatened to use military action if Baghdad failed to fulfill the agreement.
Komala’s Zirgwez base was one of those evacuated as part of the security pact. Only a few fighters remain at the site to guard the party’s belongings. Zarei had been one of those fighters.
The KRG, which has cordial relations with Tehran, has called on armed Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups not to use its territory as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries.
