Iranian Drones Strike Kurdish Opposition Camp Near Erbil, No Casualties Reported

08:30

Two drones struck a camp belonging to the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) near Erbil on Monday, causing material damage but no reported casualties, according to Kurdish media outlets and the opposition group.

The attack targeted Azadi camp in Koya, an area located between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region. The PDKI reported that the first drone hit the site at 12:01 p.m., followed by a second strike. The camp had reportedly been evacuated before the attack, according to the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw.

The incident adds to growing concerns over the security of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based across the border in northern Iraq, where Tehran has repeatedly carried out attacks against organizations it accuses of threatening its national security.

PDKI Reports Another Attack on Its Facilities

The PDKI described the latest incident as the 175th attack by Iran against its installations. The group, which opposes the Islamic Republic, has maintained a presence in Iraq for decades, alongside other Iranian Kurdish movements whose members fled Iran.

Hana Human Rights, an organization documenting rights violations in Iranian Kurdistan, said explosive-laden drones launched from the Piranshahr area in western Iran targeted a compound housing families of PDKI members.

The reported presence of families at the targeted complex underscores the risks faced by civilian residents living alongside political opposition groups in the region. No injuries or deaths were reported in Monday’s incident.

Strikes Follow Iranian Warnings Against Kurdish Opposition Groups

The latest drone attack came amid heightened tensions following remarks by Faramarz Asadi, Iran’s consul general, who accused several Iranian Kurdish opposition parties of establishing an alliance under the influence of foreign powers.

Hours after those statements, two explosive drones reportedly struck a base belonging to the Khabat Organization of Iranian Kurdistan near Erbil, according to the information provided by Kurdish sources.

The sequence of events has drawn attention to the growing pressure on Iranian Kurdish organizations operating from Iraqi territory. Tehran regularly accuses these groups of conducting hostile activities and classifies them as terrorist organizations.

The PDKI, however, has sought to distance itself from the prospect of renewed armed operations inside Iran.

PDKI Says It Will Not Launch Armed Operations From Iraq

PDKI spokesperson Khalid Azizi said the organization had no intention of deploying armed units into Iran. He also stated that Iraqi Kurdistan would not be used as a rear base for the movement’s activities, citing commitments made to the Iraqi government and the authorities of the Kurdistan Region.

These assurances come as Iraqi and Kurdish officials face the challenge of balancing relations with neighbouring Iran against concerns over the security and sovereignty of their territory.

The presence of Iranian Kurdish opposition movements in northern Iraq has long been a source of friction between Tehran and Baghdad, with Iranian authorities repeatedly demanding action against groups they consider a security threat.

Kurdistan Region Faces Persistent Security Risks

The latest incident highlights the vulnerability of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to cross-border drone and missile attacks. According to the supplied report, Iran has carried out more than 1,000 drone and missile strikes in the region, many of them directed at opposition groups.

Kurdish authorities have limited air-defence capabilities, leaving them exposed to further attacks. The reported completion of the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq on September 30 has also intensified concerns about the region’s security environment and its ability to respond to potential Iranian operations.

The extent of the damage caused by Monday’s strikes was not detailed in the available information. Nevertheless, the absence of casualties following the evacuation of Azadi camp does little to ease wider concerns over the repeated targeting of Iranian Kurdish groups on Iraqi soil.

For the Kurdistan Region, the continuing attacks present a difficult security challenge: preventing its territory from becoming a theatre for regional confrontation while protecting residents and maintaining relations with neighbouring states.