Two Killed in Armed Attack on Vehicle Carrying a Member of Parliament in Kermanshah

Local officials have reported a 'terrorist' attack by four armed individuals on the vehicle carrying Hoshmatollah Flahatpisheh, the representative of Islamabad-e Gharb in the parliament, along with several managers from Kermanshah. In this attack, Hojjatollah Nikazm, an official from the veterinary network of Kermanshah province, and the vehicle's driver were killed. According to Farhad Tajri, the representative of Qasr-e Shirin in parliament, Mr. Flahatpisheh, the governor, and several provincial officials had gone to the 'Rijab section' in the Dalaho region on Sunday, July 20, when a white Peugeot Pars carrying four armed individuals opened fire on their vehicle. Reports indicate that the driver and Hojjatollah Nikazm were killed in this attack, and the condition of Faramarz Asghari, the governor of Islamabad-e Gharb, who was hit by 'several bullets,' is 'critical.' Additionally, according to Colonel Amouei, the social deputy of the Kermanshah police, Mr. Flahatpisheh's bodyguard was shot in the thigh, and Farzad Afzali, the director general of fisheries in Kermanshah, was shot in the calf. Hoshmatollah Flahatpisheh sustained minor injuries while exiting the vehicle after the incident. This parliament member stated that such incidents have not occurred in the past and that this attack was 'most likely' organized 'from outside the country.' Ahmad Safari, a representative from Kermanshah in parliament, also stated that 'the perpetrator of this terrorist incident is the PJAK group, and the terrorists fled into the forests of Kermanshah, but the area is under surveillance.' Mojtaba Maleki, the prosecutor of Kermanshah, also announced that the attackers 'set their vehicle on fire after the attack and fled to border areas.' An attack on a convoy carrying Islamic Republic officials in Kermanshah has not been recorded in recent years. The western provinces of Iran have witnessed an escalation of clashes between Iranian security forces and the PJAK group and other armed opposition groups over the past year. On September 9, 2015, Bahman Reyhani, the commander of the 'Nabi Akram' Corps in Kermanshah, reported the killing and wounding of several forces he described as 'counter-revolutionaries' during operations by the Revolutionary Guards to 'cleanse' certain border areas of the province. In recent weeks, the provinces of Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan have also witnessed clashes between the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Revolutionary Guards, resulting in dozens of deaths. In this context, the Revolutionary Guards reported the killing of a 'regional commander of PJAK.' Pordastan: ISIS wanted to reach 12 kilometers from the border. Identification and arrest of 'ten ISIS members' at Iran's borders. Arrest of '53 supporters of ISIS ideology' in Iran. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards: Many ISIS teams have been arrested in Kermanshah province. The commander of the Kermanshah Revolutionary Guards reported clashes in the border areas of this province.