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Iraqi Kurdistan calls on Iran to respect its borders
Tehran shells Iraqi Kurdistan, killing civilians and taking “full control” of rebel camps. Baghdad calls for dialogue and peaceful resolution to the problem.
Baghdad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – “We demand Iran respect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan region as part of the sovereignty of Iraq," a Kurdistan regional government official said. The statement comes after Iran said it had taken "full control" of three camps belonging to the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
Last Saturday, Iranian forces clashed with Iranian Kurdish rebels, crossing into Iraqi Kurdistan. One Iranian revolutionary guard died and three were wounded, official iranian sources said. PJAK said that it lost two fighters and four wounded.
“We are waiting for the Iraqi government and the Kurdish authorities in Iraq to stick to their commitments and prevent PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) rebels from acting against Iran from Iraqi territory,” General Mohammad Pakpour said.
“There was Iranian infiltration along the Iraqi border. If there is any border problem, the best way to resolve it is through negotiations and peace, not by bombing civilians,” said Kurdistan regional government spokesman Qawa Mahmud.
General Pakpour denied his forces shelled Kurdish villagers, saying the target area “is uninhabited."
Iranian forces regularly shell border districts of Iraq's Kurdish region, targeting PJAK bases.