Kurdish group kills Sunni ‘traitor’ working with IRGC, source tells ‘Post’

A Kurdish militia killed a Sunni “traitor” working with Iran’s IRGC in the Chianeh village in the West Azerbaijan province, a source within the Kurdish movement told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night.

The IRGC collaborator, Mala Mohammadi Mala Qaderi, was killed by two motorcyclists after they attacked the entrance of Qaderi’s home. The gunmen were said to be from the Khori Hiwa (Sun of Hope) group.

The same group claimed responsibility in July for clashes with the IRGC, and some reports suggest they carried out attacks against Kurds who allegedly collaborated with the regime.

The gunmen were said to have successfully escaped after carrying out the attack, and The Post was told that Qaderi’s body was taken to the morgue at Piranshahr Hospital yesterday evening, where it remained under tight security.

Qaderi allegedly sent condolences on 'martyrdom' of Khamenei

State media confirmed Qaderi’s affiliation with the IRGC, and the source sent a video of Qaderi sharing his condolences on the “martyrdom” of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint operation by the United States and Israel on February 28.

“We also extend our condolences on the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khamenei. This was his longstanding wish: to be martyred for the sake of God,” he said. “We are also proud that he was martyred at the hands of someone who was not worthy of God. These are infidels who are not reconciled with Islam.

“We also agree with the re-election of the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei as leader. God willing, he will continue on this path and continue this same line. Our nation has to stand firm against the dangers and threats. We will not hand our country over to the enemy.”

The Post cannot confirm the authenticity of the footage.

Iran’s state media confirmed the death on Wednesday morning, alleging that those responsible were tied to Israel.

A statement published by the deputy public relations officer of the West Azerbaijan Martyrs' Corps, a provincial unit for the IRGC, described Qaderi as a “high-ranking martyr in popular mobilization” and alleged the killing had been carried out to divide Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Iranian media named Qaderi as Mamosta Mohammad Nuzhati.

Reports emerge of numerous attacks on Basij, IRGC members

Over the past week, there were reports of numerous attacks on Basij and IRGC members.

Abdolraouf Eshaghi, a Basij commander in the Parud district of Sistan-Baluchistan province, had been “martyred,” the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported yesterday.

The IRGC also claimed that two of its members were killed in an operation against a “terror cell” with alleged links to the United States and Israel.

Last Wednesday, a car struck a gathering of supporters of Iran's government and armed forces in the northeastern city of Mashhad overnight, killing four people and injuring more than 10, several Iranian media reported, denying that the incident was a deliberate attack on pro-regime groups.

Roger Macmillan, a terrorism and security specialist, noted that there had been a few reports of attacks on IRGC and Basij officials as of late, which, combined with the cost of living crisis, could make it harder for low-level Basij and IRGC members to stay in their roles.

“When their will to fight has been eroded as they cannot even feed their families, then this does offer the opportunity for the people to take to the streets once more to protest,” he said. “Of course there will always be those die-hard ideologically committed hardcore elements, but in time much of the support from within may fade away in the face of the severe economic pressure.”