Iran destroyed headquarters of 'counter-revolutionaries' in Iraqi Kurdistan

Iranian security forces on Monday launched an attack on Iranian Kurdish groups based in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, according to military officials.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shelled and destroyed four headquarters of Kurdish militias in northern Iraq.

"The recent operation came in response to Kurdish military activities of the area which borders northern Iraq," Majid Arjomandfar was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

"These militants are considered as the enemies of Iran wherever they are, and we consider it our duty to carry out operations against them," he added.

Clashes have been increasing in the remote and mountainous border region between Iranian security forces and Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan that are opposed to the government in Tehran.

The groups include the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) - linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI).

Iranian military officials warned last month that it would carry out artillery and drone strikes against Kurdish militants stationed on the Iraqi side of the border.

Iraq has repeatedly condemned attacks on its soil as a breach of its sovereignty and asked foreign armed groups to leave the country.

Earlier this month, Iranian artillery and drones were used to strike Kurdish groups based in the Kurdistan Region.

"In this operation, the headquarters of those conspiring against Iran’s national security was destroyed," Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported at the time.

Early in August, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I), blamed Tehran for the killing of a senior party member in Erbil, the unofficial capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Mousa Babakhani was found dead in a hotel room in Erbil on 5 August.