A Member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Killed in a Clash in Kurdistan

Kurdistan news sources reported the death of a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a clash between IRGC forces and PJAK, the military wing of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan. According to the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, this clash occurred on Tuesday, June 13, following an escalation of artillery and drone attacks by the IRGC on the 'Kousalān' mountains near the city of Sarvabad. The report indicates that alongside the ongoing artillery attacks, a large number of IRGC members have been stationed with artillery equipment at the Sarvabad outpost and the Zhivar village base. So far, Iranian officials have not reacted to the news of the death of an IRGC member. There has been no news released regarding the exact casualty figures and the number of injured in this clash. Earlier, news sources reported the dispatch of troops and heavy military equipment by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the border areas of Kurdistan province. The Kousalān heights, near Sarvabad, are located between the villages of Razab and Selin in Kurdistan. The Democratic Party, Komala, PAK, PJAK, and Khabat are based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. PJAK was placed on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list in 2009, and the U.S. considers the IRGC a terrorist organization. Zhila Mostajer, a board member of the Hengaw Human Rights Organization, confirmed this news in an interview with Voice of America, expressing concerns about the potential for war against the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Concurrently with the recent clashes, a resident of Selin village, named Aref Edvaei, was also detained by security forces and transferred to an unknown location. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, in the past, several residents of this village have been summoned, interrogated, and detained on charges of collaborating with Kurdish opposition parties. The IRGC's attacks on Kurdish areas in Iran and border regions with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are not unprecedented. Iranian officials have declared these areas as bases for opposition groups against the Iranian government and accuse Kurdish opposition parties of separatism and creating insecurity in the country. Kurdish parties reject these accusations and view the Iranian government's actions as part of the repression and intimidation of Kurdish citizens. Reports from the Kurdistan Human Rights Association - Geneva indicate that the detention, torture, killing, and execution of Kurdish citizens continue. A visually impaired protester has called for international organizations to support the victims. Two Sunni clerics from Sanandaj have been summoned to the Special Court for Clergy. Meetings between Iraqi security officials and the Kurdistan Region regarding Kurdish opposition parties to the Islamic Republic have also taken place.