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A weekly brief of events that occurred in the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Iran
- Iranian border guards inflicted three casualties on Kurdish border porters known as Kolbars last week. On June 25, a 16-year-old Kolbar was killed by Iranian guards near Baneh. Himen Salihpoor was part of a group of Kolbars attempting to cross the border when they were ambushed by Iranian authorities. On June 26, also near Baneh, Iranian border guards shot and wounded another Kolbar. On Thursday, a Kolbar named Ali Hassani was transferred to a hospital in Marivan after being wounded by Iranian guards in the Hawraman region.
- At least two arson attacks were documented in the Kurdish region of Iran during the week of June 24-July 1. On Saturday, about ten acres of forested land were set ablaze in Sanandaj. Additionally, near Saqqez, around five acres Kurdish-owned agriculture were targeted by arson, though in this case, locals were able to eventually control the fire and prevent its spread.
- The Iranian regime continued to target politically active Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan last week. In Kamyaran, Iranian intelligence officers (Ettela’at) arrested a Kurdish activist named Sirwan Ibrahimi. According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), the Ettela’at raided Ibrahimi’s home and confiscated his personal belongings which included a laptop computer and cell phone. On Wednesday, a Kurdish language instructor named Minat Rahmani was detained by the Ettela’at in Kamyaran. Rahmani is a member of the Kurdish cultural organization called Nozhen. In Kermanshah, the Iranian regime detained 11 Kurds, mostly environmental activists, on Thursday and Friday. In Sanandaj, an Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced a Kurdish activist named Madeh Fatihi to four years in prison. Fatihi had already been in prison for 20 months serving a previously imposed sentence.
- On Sunday, clashes took place between the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) in the Choman District near the Iran-Iraq border. The IRGC used heavy artillery to strike numerous locations in the region. The KDPI previously declared its intent to return to armed operations in March 2016.
Iraq
- The Turkish military continued its incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On Thursday, Turkish warplanes killed three civilians and injured five in the Kortak District. The victims included a 30-year-old woman, 53-year-old man, and 19-year-old man. Dozens of civilians have been killed by Turkish air and artillery strikes and ground operations in the region since 2015. Meanwhile, clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK erupted in several areas on both sides of the Iraqi-Turkish border.
- The Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met twice to discuss the selection of a new governor for Kirkuk province. Previously, the PUK threatened to boycott the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) if the KDP didn’t agree to the appointment of a PUK governor. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Kurdistan Parliament voted to extend its legislative session by 15 days. Previously, the parliament adjourned for summer recess on July 1 but with this change, it will now break on July 15. The change was implemented to ensure Kurdish parties had ample time to finalize their candidates for ministerial positions and form the new government.
- The newly elected President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Naichervan Barzani, visited Baghdad and met with visiting members of the UN Security Council. A UN Security Council press statement said, “The members of the Security Council welcomed the continued engagement of the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution. They also welcomed progress towards the full formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government.”
Syria
- On Wednesday, a car bomb detonated in Tabqa, injuring one civilian and at least two security personnel. The attack is the most recent in a string of urban bombings across northeastern Syria likely perpetrated by Islamic State (Da’esh) guerrilla cells. Following the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) retaking of the “Caliphate” in Syria, Da’esh operatives have formed guerrilla cells and frequently resorted to terrorism against Kurdish or Kurdish-allied forces and civilians.
- On Sunday, U.S. Central Command announced it had conducted a strike against al Qa’ida operatives in northwestern Syria near Aleppo province. The statement provided no further details regarding the strike, but a British human rights organization claimed that eight members of the jihadist organization were killed. Although President Donald Trump indicated a desire to completely withdraw American forces from Syria in December 2018, hundreds of U.S. troops remain stationed in the war-torn country.
- On Monday, in a move applauded by international humanitarian organizations, SDF leadership announced it had signed an agreement with the United Nations to end the military recruitment of individuals under the age of 18. Under the agreement, the SDF is obligated to expel minors from its ranks and implement stricter regulatory measures regarding recruitment practices.
Turkey
- Turkish authorities launched a new wave of arrests targeting Kurdish political activists following the conclusion of Istanbul’s mayoral rerun election. On Thursday, Turkish police raided the home of Dilan Ablay, a People’s Democratic Party (HDP) municipal council member, in the Ceylanpinar District of Urfa. Ablay and her entire family were detained. In the Cizre District of Shirank province, Turkish police raided several homes and detained eight Kurds. Simultaneously, the Turkish military declared a curfew and prohibited attendance of political functions in several districts of Darsim and Hakkari provinces. The Turkish military is also conducting a military operation in the Kurdish region.
- The Turkish government rejected visitation requests from relatives of the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and other political prisoners last week. The Turkish government previously granted Ocalan’s relatives and attorneys visitation privileges prior to the Istanbul mayoral rerun election on June 23, 2019.