Iran shells border villages in Northern Iraq

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Iran shells border villages in Northern Iraq
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 14, 2008 14:53

Iranian artillery began shelling the villages in Sengeser sub-county and Pishder District of Sulaimani Province in Northern Iraq on Monday, a news service associated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani reported. (UPDATED)

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The shelling in Quandil mountain targeted the PEJAK, a breakaway faction of the outlawed separatist PKK, PUK media reported.

Abdullah Ibrahim, the director of Sengeser sub-county, said "Iranian artillery struck Kinera, Sawen Mountain and Mamenda areas without causing any damage,” it reported.

Later an Iranian radio station reported a high-level PEJAK official was killed in the operation, according to the Dogan News Agency. It also reported the terrorist killed was from Turkey.

The Iranian military often shells Iraqi border villages in an attempt to flush out the outlawed Kurdish separatists, sending residents fleeing from their homes.

The PEJAK based in northern Iraq threatened on Sunday to launch bomb attacks inside Iran if Tehran fails to halt anti-Kurdish policies in the Islamic country, AFP reported. PEJAK warned it has the ability to "carry out bombings against Iranian forces" inside Iran.

Iran and Turkey will seek initiatives on Tuesday against the outlawed separatist PKK and its a breakaway faction PEJAK during the 12th Iran-Turkey High Security Commission meeting in Ankara, ANKA reported on Sunday.

During the meeting the two neighboring countries will look at joint measures to deal with separatist threats posed by the PKK and the PEJAK.

Abbas Mohtaj, Iranian deputy interior minister in charge of security, said on Monday there is no difference between the PKK and PEJAK. Turkey and Iran are the targets of terrorist attacks, he told reporters in Tehran prior to his departure for Turkey, the Anatolian Agency reported.

The two countries fight against terror and cooperate with each other and Iran looks at the PKK and the PEJAK as a single terrorist organization under two different names, Mohtaj said. "We want to increase cooperation with Turkey against the terrorist organizations," he added.

The Turkish Armed Forces launched a cross-border ground operation into the north of Iraq on February 21 in an effort to neutralize the outlawed separatist PKK positions stationed within the borders of the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq and to destroy organizational infrastructure in the region. On February 29, Turkish troops returned to bases inside Turkey.

 

Photo: AFP

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