ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An alliance of six Iranian Kurdish opposition parties on Thursday urged Kurds worldwide to take “unified action” and assume “patriotic responsibility” by protesting against Tehran’s continued attacks on their bases in the Kurdistan Region, which the groups say have killed over 20 people since late February.
“Be the voice of our struggle and the resilience of our [Kurdish] nation on the streets, outside embassies and decision-making centers,” the parties said in a joint statement.
The alliance includes the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Organization of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle (Khabat), Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
The parties formed an alliance in February to coordinate efforts against the Islamic Republic, with the stated aim of championing the Kurdish people’s right to self-determination.
The US and Israel launched a preemptive air campaign against Iran on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across the country during six weeks of hostilities before both sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8.
In response, Tehran carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in the region - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
Despite the early April truce, Iran and Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Tehran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ have continued attacks on Kurdish opposition bases in the Kurdistan Region, killing at least 11 people, including five since the ceasefire came into effect, according to a Saturday statement by the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
For its part, the alliance of Kurdish opposition parties detailed in its Thursday statement that “more than 150 direct attacks were launched against political asylum-seekers from [the Kurdish-majority region in western Iran] Rojhelat.” The statement added that “21 individuals were killed in the attacks on the Kurdistan Region, including 10 fighters and civilians living in the bases.”
Of note, the Kurdistan Region endured more than 700 attacks during the war and around 20 others since the truce came into effect, according to Rudaw’s tracking. The alliance of Kurdish parties corroborated the figures, describing the assaults as “war crimes.”