Kurdistan
Kurdsat correspondent reported that Iranian artillery fired 63 artillery shells at Barbzin, Ben, Parez, Katina, and Darhol villages in Bradost border area in just five minutes.
He added that the Turkish army also shelled the areas of Robi, Ruwal, Gali Rash, Tarsta, and Kam Kora in Bradost.
A Turkish army surveillance aircraft the village of Merstaki in Amedi district three times in a row last night, causing heavy damage to the houses of the villagers, but no casualties were reported, KurdSat reporter explained.
Turkey and Iran frequently bomb residential areas and mountains of Kurdistan, which cause severe humanitarian and environmental damage.
According to local media reports, demonstrations continued until late Friday night in Sanaa, Saqiz, Kermanshah, Ahvaz and several other Iranian cities, with security forces using tear gas and shooting to disperse the demonstrators. An intelligence commander of the Iranian army Ali Musawi was shot in the chest during clashes near Mekka mosque in Zahedan and died in hospital, IRGC reported.
At least 19 people, including security forces, were killed and 20 others injured in Friday's protests in Zahedan, Sistan, and Baluchestan Governor Hossein Modarres told IRNA.
The unrest in Iran's southern region of Sistan and Balochistan province took a violent turn. Clashes between the people and security forces resulted in many causalities when a group tried to take over the army's headquarters in Zahedan.
“The opposition parties were aware of the threats,” the source added.
The Interior Ministry source explained that the Kurdistan Region has never agreed to the September 28 attacks and the violation of its sovereignty and strongly condemns them.
The Kurdistan region has maintained a policy of neutrality towards its neighbors in their fights against their opposition groups.
"As a result of this unjust attack and the unjustified bombing of the Islamic Republic of Iran, several civilians were martyred, and others were injured. Kurdistan Region Parliament said in a statement today that several civilian areas, schools, and homes were targeted.
"We strongly condemn these attacks on behalf of the Kurdistan Parliament and believe that violence, missile attacks, and bombings cannot be resorted to under any pretext," the Parliament added.
"The Kurdistan Region Parliament insists on its unchanging position that it wants friendly relations based on respect, common interests, sovereignty and the principles of good neighborliness with its neighbors in accordance with international law and customs. We believe that military solutions and attacks will not solve the problems, but will complicate them," the Parliament explained in the statement.
The Parliament asks the international community to stand up to the aggression and put an end to such attacks repeating and saying, "the Kurdistan Parliament calls on the federal government and the international community to put a stop to these attacks and violations of the territory and sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
In concluding the statement, the Parliament extended its condolences to the victims and their families.
On Wednesday, in an unprecedented attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corpus (IRGC) bombed several areas of the Kurdistan Region with missiles and kamikaze drones. The attack targeted homes and bases of Iranian opposition groups. The attacks were concentrated on the KDPI, Komala, and Kurdistan Freedom Party, the three well-known Iranian opposition groups that maintain their bases in the Kurdistan region.a
Patel said he could not further comment on the case due to privacy considerations.
A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official confirmed that the US citizen is Omar Mahmoudzadeh, Al-Monitor reported.
The US Consulate in the Kurdistan region said the US State Department's travel guidelines for Iraq are still at Level 4, which asks US citizens not to travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnappings, and armed conflict.
The US consulate in Erbil had asked Americans to stay away from targeted areas such as Prde, Koya, Zrgwezala and disputed territories.
On September 28, Iran began an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region, resulting in over ten deaths and tens of injuries including children.
Passport of the Kurdish American citizen killed in the Iran attacks on the Kurdistan region
Gulf Cooperation Council: Iran's attacks in Kurdistan violate Iraq's sovereignty
He also stressed, during his meeting with the Iraqi ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdul Sattar Al-Janabi, that the Iranian attacks "violate" Iraq's sovereignty and threaten the security and stability of the region, according to a statement by the Council.
The death toll from the Iranian attacks rose to 13, and more than 50 were wounded, including women and children.
The commander of the ground forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Muhammad Pakpour, announced, on Wednesday, that his country launched 73 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones at 43 points in the Kurdistan region.
The Kurdistan government explained that the attacks were carried out by "20 drones carrying explosive materials, and they hit four areas in the Kurdistan region." The Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service also indicated that Tehran launched "more than 70 ballistic missiles and unmanned aircraft launchers in 4 stages."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran attacked Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headquarters at 10:30 pm today, using rockets and Kamikaze drones. According to preliminary information, two people were martyred and several other Peshmergas were wounded," KDPI said in a statement.
Since Saturday, Iran has begun shelling bases and headquarters of Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan region. Today, it rocketed KDPI and Kurdistan Tailor’s Party’s locations in Sulaimani and Erbil.
A member of Komala speaking to KurdSat English said, "today I was informed that Iran has attacked Komala headquarters in Zrgwezala ( in Sulaimani) and places where civilians lives. Many civilians have been evacuated. As we all know, now Iran faces immense pressure as protests across Iran’s major cities and it wants to make up for that by diverting people’s attention somewhere else."
Meanwhile, Sulaimani Health Directory spokesman Saman Nader said, "six ambulances have been sent to Zrguzela to transport the injured. Although Ambulances could not operate freely due to the continuous bombings," Nader added.
The attack caused panic among the people of Koya, where most Iranian opposition groups maintain bases. Women and children were evacuated, and schools were closed for fear of the bombings.
Hours after the attack, Iranian drones were hovering over Shaheed Khalid Hospital in Koya as seen on videos published by KurdSat English.
Kurdistan Region Health Minister said they have alert medical teams to move into the city and care for the wounded. Twelve injuries have been transported to Erbil, some from Koya and others from Pride, a town 40 kilometers south of Erbil.
One of the drones bombing Pride was downed by a Kurdish opposition group, KurdSat English report in Pride said.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s fraction in the Iraqi Council of Representatives condemned the attack and called on Iran to stop neighboring countries from attacking Iraq.
Iran has long attacked opposition groups and calls for their ouster in the Kurdistan region. On September 8, 2018, Iran rocketed the KDPI headquarter in Koy Sinjaq while its top leadership was busy meeting. One missile directly landed on the hall where the KDPI top leaders were meeting, killing 14.
The recent attack is unique in scale, involving drones, artillery, and rockets. The attack has lasted longer than other previous attacks, and it continues.
PUK Press Bureau said, "Iranian forces have bombed several areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) today, causing casualties and injuries.
This act, in addition to causing loss of life and property and causing anxiety among citizens, is a clear violation of the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and is incompatible with the principles of good neighborliness and friendly relations, the Bureau said.
The Bureau also called for an immediate halt to the attacks as they were continuing and said we are condemning the bombings.
Today, Wednesday, Iran began an extensive bombing campaign targeting Kurdish opposition groups in the Kurdistan region.
Kurdistan Region Health Minister announced that seven people were killed in the attack, with 24 four injured, and the number of casualties continues to increase.
The bombing of opposition bases by the Islamic Republic of Iran, for whatever reason, is a wrong attitude and misleading the course of events and is surprising. We condemn these kinds of attacks on our territory, which continue to kill civilians, and these violations must end, KRG added.
Amid nationwide protests in Iranian cities today, Iran targeted bases of Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan region.
"I want to tell you that they can never destroy our will for liberation, Hijri stressed in the statement.
I ask you to show your anger in the streets of Kurdistan and again prove that what cannot subdue Kurdistan is the attack and suppression of our legitimate demands. Your will would stop every dictator, Hijri explained in the statement.
The PUK faction noted, "The Green faction said that such attacks on the territory and people of Kurdistan are a grave crime, violating the country's sovereignty and international law.
The statement comes after the Iraqi council of Representatives PUK faction condemned the attack and called on the Iraqi government to end such attacks.
"Neighboring countries must respect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan region and guarantee the region's security. At the same time, the federal government has to protect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region," the faction declared.
Today, Wednesday, in a coordinated attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corpus (IRGC) attacked many locations in the Kurdistan region. The attack was concentrated on Sulaimani and Erbil and targeted Iranian opposition groups.
These attacks on the Kurdistan Region coincide with the protests of the Iranian people, in which several writers, artists and human rights activists were arrested. We consider these developments as domestic events in Iran. We sympathize with the Iranian and Kurdish peoples for realizing their freedom and legitimate rights.
Turkey continues to violate the Kurdistan region's territory. It is attacking the Kurdistan region with aircraft and drones and has caused instability in the region and Iraq.
These developments are dangerous and must be stopped. Iran has destroyed the peace in these areas by bombing the Kurdistan region's territory and villages. The latest and most dangerous are the Iranian bombings of the Kurdish refugee camps in Koya in Erbil province, Zrgoez in Sulaimani province and Parde town in Kirkuk province.
These violations are international and war crimes under international conventions, especially the Rome Statute, because it has targeted civilians inside homes and schools.
Kurdistan Genocide Writers Union calls on the international community and all responsible parties to protect the Kurdish people from the threat of war crimes and genocide.
On World Tourism Day, the KRG Committee of Tourism released a statement and explained, it would do everything in its hands to make the tourism sector one of the main sources of income in the Kurdistan region and create more jobs in the sector.
In 2022, the committee have been able to issue several tourism guidelines and amend some others to facilitate the affairs of the tourism sector, the committee added.
The number of tourists visiting the Kurdistan region is increasing annually. In 2021, 4 million, 189 thousand and 569 tourists visited the region. The Committee of Tourism aims to increase the figure by 50% to over six million by 2022.
The Kurdistan region’s finances heavily rely on hydrocarbon reserves, and the KRG aims to break that reliance by diversifying its economy.
The mayor of Qasre district Shakhawan Hussein told Kurdsat News that "an Iranian Kamikaze drone aimed at the bases and headquarters of the KDPI Peshmerga forces around Mergay village of Choman district, fell down before reaching its target."
"They are investigating the bombings and early reports suggest that there were no casualties, but fires broke out in the forests and their teams are working to contain the fire," the mayor explained.
Iranian artillery has been shelling the border areas and the border of the villages of Balakayety and Bradost for four days. On Monday, Iranian artillery bombed several Bradost villages, Kurdsat English reporter added.
Since the nationwide protests broke out in Iran at the death of Zhina Amini, who died in the custody of Iran's morality police, Iran has increased its military attacks on the KDPI, which accuses it of being behind the riots in Kurdish Iranian cities.
The KDPI maintains its headquarters and bases in the Kurdistan region's Koy Sanjaq city. Iranian artillery frequently bombs its bases in the region.
On September 8, 2018, Iran rocketed the KDPI headquarter in Koy Sinjaq while its top military leaders were busy meeting. One missile directly landed on the hall where the KDPI top leaders were meeting, killing 14.
Iraqi Federal Supreme Court Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Aboud has said that the dissolution of the House of Representatives is not within its powers.
The president of the Federal Court said several complaints regarding the resignation of the Sadr faction MPs remain and are under review.
Regarding its decision requiring energy firms dealing with the KRG to renew their contracts with Baghdad, not the Kurdistan region government, the supreme justice asked the KRG to follow the decree.
The Iraqi Monitoring Committee has to put an end to corruption in Iraq and called the establishment of the National Oil Company and the appointment of Oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar" to head it called illegal.
Earlier this year, the Iraqi supreme court issued a decree calling on all companies operating in oil and gas fields within the administrative boundaries of the Kurdistan region to leave the region or sign contracts with Baghdad and not Erbil.
The KRG's quarterly report audited by Deloitte revealed that the region had exported over 36 million barrels of oil from January 1 to March 31, 2022, at an average price of $86.7 per barrel.
The KRG reported a total net income of over 3.9 billion dollars throughout 2021, having exported over 152 million barrels of oil.
Hadi Amiri's Fatah coalition that is an essential member of the Shiite Coordination Framework, said “the Iraqi parliament is expected to resume sessions on Tuesday to complete the legal procedures for the formation of the new government.
Although protesters have ended their sits ins and camping in front of the since weeks the Parliament has not since its speaker suspended its sessions on July 30.
“One of the main topics of the meeting will be to fill the post of first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament and the post will be given to independent MPs and MP Mahmoud Mandela will be nominated for the post, the Fatah coalition said.
On late July, Sadrist supporters stormed Baghdad’s Green Zone and entered the Parliament and other governmental buildings. The dissidents camped inside the parliament and have stalled parliament meetings since then.