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Iran
- On November 4, an unknown warplane bombarded Asos mountain in Iraqi Kurdistan near the Iranian borders. The director of Mawat sub-district said the jets hit the mountain three times. The Kurdistan Human Rights Association reported that the jets were Iranian targeting Kurdish groups in result of coordination between the Iranian regime and Turkish government against armed Kurdish opposition groups. Also on November 4, eight Iranian regime soldiers were killed during clashes with armed groups in Calderon district-Orumiyeh near the Iran-Turkey border. No group has claimed the attacks on the Iranian forces yet.
- A prominent Kurdish politician Mohammad Nazari ended his three-month hunger strike in an Iranian jail after his health deteriorated. Nazari is a member of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and has been in prison since 1994 for his political activity. On October 25, Amnesty International called the Iranian regime to release him from prison.
Iraq
- The Iraqi Council of MInisters has approved the budget of 2018. In the 2018 budget the Kurdistan region’s share will be reduced from 17% to 12.67% for the first time since 2003. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is ready to hand over all revenue resources to Baghdad in exchange for 17% share from the federal budget. “We say this now and we have said it before, if Baghdad is willing to fully pay the 17 percent share of our budget we are ready to hand over to them the oil dossier,” said Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. After back and forth statements between Baghdad and Arbil, Qubad Talabani the deputy prime minister of KRG said: “Our cabinet reiterated that talks with Baghdad, with international involvement, is the only lasting way to resolve Baghdad-KRG issues.” Further, the military tensions between the Peshmerga forces and Iraqi army/ Iranian-backed militias have decreased since last week.
- On November 5, three terrorist explosion took place in Kirkuk targeting Iranian backed militias inside the city. The terror act resulted in the death of a number of Shia militants and five civilians. In Tuz about 1,800 Kurdish families remain displaced in the Kurdistan region after their homes were looted and burned by elements of militias taking over the town on October 16.
Syria
- Tension remain high between the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) and Islamic militias supported by Turkey in Afrin. After clashes in the last few weeks, the YPG responded with light weapons to an attack launched by the Islamic militants on Shera district. Earlier in the week, the militias also bombarded the Kurdish Sherawa district in Afrin. In east of Syria, the US backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cleared more villages by Deir Ez Zour and about 11 miles away from the Iraqi-Syrian border. The SDF were able to discover a mine factory belonging to ISIS in Hamida village which was liberated recently. Since September 9, 2017 the SDF launched a liberation campaign “al- Jazeera Tempest,” backed by the US led coalition on Deir Ez Zour, resulting in liberation of 184 km area.
- Ali Akbar Velayati, the adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said the Syrian regime will take control of Raqqa after the US backed SDF liberated it from ISIS last month. During a visit to Lebanon, Velayati said that the Syrian regime forces and militias supporting them will aim to reach the eastern side of the Euphrates where SDF is in control. So far the US led coalition hasn’t made any response to the threats by the Iranian official.
Turkey
- November 4, 2017 marked one year for imprisonment of the co-chairs and 10 lawmakers of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP released a statement criticizing the Ministry of Justice for sending a letter to all the Turkish courts to prevent HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtas to attend hearings to testify. “While the court in Kayseri had previously concluded that Mr. Demirtaş had to be brought to the hearing to testify, the Ministry of Justice has instructed the courts with this confidential note that such decisions should not be made,” said the statement. The HDP described the Ministry of Justice’s instruction as “unlawful and irrational.” Demirtas remains in jail while numerous cases against him by the Turkish government remain pending.
- Turkish police launched a new wave of arrests against members of the Pro-Kurdish HDP and Democratic Regions Party (DBP). In Ardahan province ten people were arrested during raids on their houses, including co-chairs of HDP and BDP in the Province. In Osmaniye, three HDP officials were arrested. In the Kurdish city of Hakkari, 40 people were taken into custody.
- The Turkish court in Diyarbakıir (Amed) sentenced the HDP lawmaker Selma Irmak to ten years in prison on alleged charges of “membership to a terrorist organization” and “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization.” Irmak is the ninth HDP lawmaker to be sentenced by the Turkish government.