Kurdistan Democratic Party Accuses Tehran of Killing 2 of its Members in Iraqi Kurdistan

Smoke rises from the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, after an IRGC attack on the outskirts of Kirkuk, September 28, 2022 (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, after an IRGC attack on the outskirts of Kirkuk, September 28, 2022 (Reuters)
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Kurdistan Democratic Party Accuses Tehran of Killing 2 of its Members in Iraqi Kurdistan

Smoke rises from the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, after an IRGC attack on the outskirts of Kirkuk, September 28, 2022 (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, after an IRGC attack on the outskirts of Kirkuk, September 28, 2022 (Reuters)

The Iranian Kurdistan Democratic Party has announced that two of its members in the Kurdistan region of Iraq were killed by a group loyal to Iran.

In a statement, the party said on Friday that a premeditated attack was carried out by the group in the south of the region, targeting a number of party members and leaving Adel Muhajir and Luqman Aji dead.

The party condemned the attack and called on the Iraqi government and the regional government to “take a firm stand against the terrorist acts committed by Iran.”

However, the statement did not mention the name of the group that carried out the operation.

Last year, Iran launched several attacks inside Iraqi territory in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, using ballistic missiles and drones and targeting what it said were Kurdish groups accused of being involved in protests.

In one of the operations, Iran said it was targeting an oil trader suspected of transporting Kurdistan region’s oil to Israel and running armed groups attacking facilities in Iran.

Iran accuses the Iraqi Kurdistan region of harboring opposition movements and groups, such as the Kurdish (Komala) movement and elements of the People’s Mujahedin Organization.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Body in Iraq announced on Friday that five ISIS members were killed in a security operation carried out by its forces in Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad.

At the end of 2017, Iraq announced the elimination of ISIS from the country, but the organization remains active in some areas.



Israel's Military Says 3 Drones Fired from Yemen

FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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Israel's Military Says 3 Drones Fired from Yemen

FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Three drones were launched from Yemen toward Israel on Thursday evening, the military said, although there were no injuries according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service.
The latest drone attack came hours after the Israeli military said the Houthis, a Yemeni militant group backed by Iran, have targeted Israel with more than 40 missiles and around 320 drones since October 2023. The military said the vast majority of the surface-to-surface missiles were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, and that the air force intercepted 100 of the drones, reported The Associated Press.
Two drones have exploded inside Israel, in one case killing a man in Tel Aviv and wounding 10 others. Last month, a Houthi missile struck a playground in Tel Aviv, wounding 16 people, and caused damage at an empty school.
The Houthis have also been attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and say they won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
In response, Israeli and US-led forces have carried out airstrikes in Yemen's capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, killing dozens. The US has bombed what it says are weapons systems, military bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed militants.
While the damage from Houthi fire in Israel is minimal compared with heavy damage from missiles and drones from Gaza and Lebanon, the persistent launches threaten Israel’s economy, keeping many foreign airlines away and preventing the country from restarting its hard-hit tourism industry.