Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesman, Safeen Dizayee said on Sunday that Erbil will not allow hostile action to originate from the region’s soil against Iran. Ekurd.net reports in its article Iraqi Kurdistan not to allow hostile action against Iran from its soil that his remarks came in response to the recent crossing of some Kurdish rebel groups into Iranian Kurdistan.
“Erbil is looking at the importance of it relations with the nation and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Dizayee said as quoted by the Iranian news agency of Tasnim. According to Tasnim, Dizayee expressed gratitude for the support Iran provided to the Kurdistan Region in various fields including the humanitarian aid, saying the KRG considers its relations with Iran as of immense importance.
Dizayee said both Iran and KRG have formed a mutual committee and that Erbil cautioned the armed groups on the border to not use the Kurdistan Region’s territory for hostile action against Iran and Turkey.
His comments came eight days after clashes erupted between the fighters of an armed Iranian-Kurdish group and Iranian soldiers on June 9 near the Kurdish city of Oshnavieh in the province of West Azerbaijan in Iranian Kurdistan.
They engaged in clashes after Peshmerga of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) were ambushed by the Iranian forces, the AVA Today reported.
The media outlet said that nine Iranian soldiers were killed and another 17 wounded.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran KDPI (PDKI) has engaged in an armed struggle with the government of Iran since 1980s accusing Tehran of violating the rights of the Kurds in the country. Iran accuses the armed group of separatism.
Kurdish armed groups, such as Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), KDPI and Komala, have been in conflict with the Iranian government for decades, and are seeking greater autonomy for the areas inhibited by ethnic Kurds. These armed Kurdish groups are widely spread across the 60-kilometer border with neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan.
