Iran steps up attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq

The attacks illustrate how Iran continues to target Kurdish opposition groups in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Iran carried out a drone attack targeting Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in northern Iraq on Wednesday, perhaps trying to send a message that it may escalate its attacks.

A report at the Kurdish media outlet Rudaw noted that the strikes targeted a base used by the Komala group northeast of Erbil. A separate strike targeted a house in Halabja province.

The attacks illustrate how Iran continues to target Kurdish opposition groups in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, even as Tehran faces wider regional tensions and domestic unrest.

Komala is one of five Kurdish groups that are part of a coalition against the Iranian regime. These include the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), as well as several branches of Komala.

According to Rudaw, two explosive drones targeted a Komala base in the Alana valley of Balisan, approximately 90 km northeast of Erbil, at around 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday. “Despite material damage, this attack resulted in no casualties,” Komala said in a statement quoted by Rudaw. The group said its forces at the location were unharmed. There have been more than 1,000 attacks by Iran targeting the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. Iran has used drones and missiles in the attacks.

Kurdish official accuses Iran of attacks

Ali Ranjbari, head of Komala’s relations, described the attack as an “Islamic Republic’s drone attack on Komala Peshmerga.” He accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of being behind the attack. This is part of a wider campaign by Iran aimed at spreading the conflict to Iraq. Iran also wants to pre-empt any Kurdish uprising.

The report at Rudaw goes on to say that in a separate incident, a strike damaged a house in Tawella, in Halabja province. This happened early in the morning on Tuesday. A security source told Rudaw that the property sustained extensive damage, but no casualties were reported.

“We don’t know what happened. We haven’t seen any debris. Our house sustained heavy damage; our glass, doors, and windows are all broken,” homeowner Alwan Abdullah told Rudaw.

The attacks are part of a wider Iranian campaign against Kurdish opposition organizations that have maintained bases and facilities in northern Iraq for decades. Groups such as Komala and PDKI have historically opposed the Iranian regime and maintain networks among Kurdish communities on both sides of the border. Many Kurds have fled Iran over the years. Iran has tried to get Iraq to expel these Kurdish dissident groups.

The Iranian regime strikes, which had occurred in the past, have intensified since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. These attacks place the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in a difficult position. The autonomous region maintains close relations with Western countries while also sharing a long border with Iran. Kurdish Iranian opposition groups have established themselves in the region over many years. The KRG leadership in Erbil has been critical of the Kurdish Iranian groups and wary that they might drag the region into conflict.

Last month, Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Mohammed Kazem Al-e Sadegh claimed Baghdad had agreed to expel Kurdish Iranian opposition organizations or hand their members over to Tehran. However, an Iraqi official who attended the security meeting disputed the claim, according to Rudaw. It remains to be seen what may happen.