Clash between IRGC Ground Forces and Armed Group in West Azerbaijan Border Area

The commander of the IRGC Ground Forces has reported the destruction of an armed group in the "border area of West Azerbaijan" during a clash with IRGC forces, but the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan claims that its Peshmerga inflicted a "fatal blow" to the IRGC forces. On Sunday, Tasnim News Agency quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour stating that "a terrorist team of counter-revolutionaries" intended to enter the country for "sabotage and terrorist actions" and was "destroyed" in the clash with the IRGC Ground Forces. This senior IRGC commander mentioned that due to the timely action of the IRGC Ground Forces, "two armed criminals" were killed and "four others" were injured, and "significant amounts of ammunition, equipment, and military weapons were seized." There was no mention of the identity of the armed group, nor the exact time and location of the clash. However, a report published on the website of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan on Sunday evening states that the recent clash involved "Shar Peshmerga forces affiliated with the Peshmerga of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan" against the IRGC forces. According to this report, the clash occurred at midnight on Saturday, August 5, in the Piranshahr area. The report claims that "a team of Shar Peshmerga" inflicted a "fatal blow" to the IRGC forces, and more details about this clash will be announced "soon." The Islamic Republic refers to armed opposition groups in western Iran, including Kurdish armed parties, as "terrorist groups." However, these groups declare that the purpose of their armed conflict with the Islamic Republic is to "defend the rights of Kurds." Nearly two weeks ago, the Hamzeh Headquarters of the IRGC Ground Forces announced that in a clash with what it called a "terrorist" group in northwestern Iran, three members of this group and one IRGC captain were killed. The Hamzeh Headquarters, the IRGC Ground Forces' command in the provinces of Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, and Kermanshah, was established in the early years following the 1979 revolution in Iran to deal with armed opposition groups in these provinces. In recent months, clashes have also occurred between Kurdish armed parties and the military forces of the Islamic Republic. For instance, the Komala Party announced that in a clash with the IRGC forces on July 23, three members of this party and several IRGC forces were killed. Ten days later, news sources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reported that Iranian military forces shelled areas in this region, injuring three people. Following this, the autonomous government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq summoned the Iranian consul in Erbil and protested against the shelling of these areas.