IRGC: PJAK Members Assassinate Basij Member in His Home

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Makoo County of West Azerbaijan Province reported that members of the PJAK group attacked the residence of a special Basij force member and 'assassinated' him with gunfire. According to a report on Wednesday (July 7) by Mehr News Agency, this incident occurred early on Tuesday of the current week. The IRGC in Makoo stated that eight members of the PJAK 'entered the home of a Basij member in the presence of family members (daughter and wife), shot him with 10 bullets, and fled the village.' The statement identified the slain Basij member as Mostafa Fardousi, noting that he had '11 years' of experience in promoting the culture of the revolution and revolutionary ideals. The deceased's home is located in the village of Zakarlu, part of Poldasht in West Azerbaijan Province. Mehr News Agency reported, citing local witnesses, that 'three types of bullet casings from Kalashnikovs and several suspicious casings believed to be from a G3 weapon were found at the assassination scene.' The IRGC statement did not mention the reason for PJAK members entering this individual's home. IRNA news agency also reported that a funeral ceremony for Mostafa Fardousi would be held on Wednesday in Poldasht. The border areas of western and northwestern Iran, including West Azerbaijan and Kurdistan provinces, periodically witness clashes between security forces, police, and the IRGC with armed opposition groups, including PJAK and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan. In retaliation for these clashes in western regions, Iran targets areas in Iraq with artillery attacks, actions that have repeatedly faced protests from Iraqi government officials and the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The PJAK group, known as the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, is listed as a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and many countries, including the United States.