2011 Iran-Iraq cross-border raids
Encyclopedia
2011 Iran-Iraq cross-border raids were a series of operations, performed by Iran
's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC), against the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), a Kurdish
rebel group. The operations began in July 2011, and have included attacks on PJAK bases in Iranian territory, penetration into Iraqi Kurdistan
territory, bombing of PJAK associated bases and villages in Kurdish controlled Iraqi areas and direct targeting of Kurdish guerilla command in Qandil mountains
. The clashes resulted in dozens killed and wounded on both sides, with hundreds of displaced Kurdish villagers. The exact numbers of casualties on each side are a matter of controversy.
On September 29 PJAK accepted Iranian terms and withdrew fully from Iran's soil in what Iranian commanders described as a surrander. According to the IRGC they killed over 180 PJAK fighters and injured over 300 during the operations. The operation cost Iran $150 million.
On July 20, PJAK killed 5 IRGC members and one IRGC commander. IRGC forces killed 35 PJAK fighters and captured several others during clashes on July 25. By July 26, more than 50 PJAK fighters and 8 Revolutionary Guards were reported to had been killed and at least 100 PJAK fighters had been wounded according to Iranian sources, while over 800 people had been displaced by the fighting according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. At least 3 civilians were killed. During clashes in the Jasosan and Alotan heights the next day, Iranian forces claimed to have killed over 21 PJAK fighters, confirming that two IRGC forces had been killed and two had been injured during the clashes.
On August 1, at request of the Kurdistan Regional Government
, Iran halted its offensive and gave PJAK forces a one month grace period during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
to retreat all their forces from Iranian territory.
, the leader of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan , said the armed rebel group is prepared to negotiate with Iran and maintained that Kurdish issues need to be solved through “peaceful means”.
In an exclusive interview with Rudaw, Haji Ahmadi acknowledged that in some cases compromise is inevitable and indicated that PJAK is willing to lay down its arms. He said fighting may not help Kurds secure political and cultural rights in Iran.
On August 8 2011, Murat Karayılan
, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) said they withdrew all PJAK fighters out of Iran and sent them to PKK camps in the Qandil mountains. He said they replaced PJAK forces on the Iranian border with PKK forces to prevent further clashes and called on Iran to end attacks because unlike the PJAK, the PKK was not at war with Iran. Karayılan released the following statement:
head of the Iranian parliament's foreign affairs committee told Mehr News Agency
that the PKK's top commander Murat Karayılan had been captured during the IRGC operation, a claim which was dismissed by the PKK, which told Roj TV
that Karayılan was fine and free. Later, however, Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi
and Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
also denied the news. Turkish interior minister İdris Naim Şahin
said the news confused Murat Karayılan with PJAK commander Murat Karasac, who had been killed by Iranian forces in West Azerbaijan on August 2.
Nonetheless this has led to many conspiracy theories in the media, for instance by Today's Zaman
columnist Markar Esayan, that Iran was trying to help Cemil Bayik
execute an internal coup in the PKK by capturing Karayılan, so that Iran can gain influence over the organisation. Emre Uslu, another columnist for the Today's Zaman claimed that Iran had captured Karayılan to gain a political victory in the conflict over PJAK, by getting the PKK to stop supporting them. Pro-PKK think-tank Yusuf Ziyad believed that this was the beginning of the forming of a Shi'a-Kurdish alliance, by Iran. Ziyad and Hürriyet
columnist Kadri Gürsel both believe that this is motivated by Turkish opposition towards the Ba'ath regime of Bashar al-Assad
in Syria
. Yeni Şafak
daily columnist Abdulkadir Selvi claimed that Iran had, in fact, taken Karayılan out of Qandil and brought him to Urumiyeh to keep him safe from Turkish air raids. Professor Sedat Laçiner
, President of the Çanakkale
university claimed Iran had released Karayılan and this is proof that they are supporting the PKK. The NATO missile shield in Turkey is also cited as reason for why Iran would want to support the PKK.
cease-fire, just days after Turkish officials claimed that their August air strikes against the PKK had killed up to 160 militants ins Iraqi Kurdistan. Iranian sources claimed that the rebels had used the truce to dig tunnels in the Jasosan heights close to Iran's border. On September 4, Iran claimed the offensive had killed and injured 30 PJAK fighters and on September 5, 2011, the IRGC rejected a cease-fire declared by the PJAK as meaningless, as long as PJAK forces remained inside the borders of the Islamic Republic. Iran also said its troops had killed 30 PJAK fighters and wounded 40 during the several days of fighting.
On September 7, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed PJAK's deputy commander Majid Kavian
alias "Semko Sarholdan" was killed while commanding an operation in Kutaman. Kavian, the PJAK's number 2 man was said to be the group's chief operational commander, as the group's number 1 leader, Haji Ahmadi lives in Germany
. PJAK confirmed Kavian's death in a statement on their website which said he had been killed by a shrapnel from tank fire. On September 9, Iran claimed to have captured 2 more PJAK commanders.
On September 21, the IRGC claimed they had successfully forced the armed PJAK fighters from Iranian territory.
In October, President of Iraqi Kurdistan
Massoud Barzani
stated that the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan would from now on be safe, after an agreement with PJAK.
More were killed in the August cross-border offensives, while Iran claimed to have also killed 30 PJAK fighters and wounded 40 in early September.
According to IRGC Brigadier General Abdullah Araqi, 180 PJAK fighters were killed and 300 injured by the end of the operation.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution , often called Revolutionary Guards, is a branch of Iran's military, founded after the Iranian revolution...
(IRGC), against the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), a Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
rebel group. The operations began in July 2011, and have included attacks on PJAK bases in Iranian territory, penetration into Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
territory, bombing of PJAK associated bases and villages in Kurdish controlled Iraqi areas and direct targeting of Kurdish guerilla command in Qandil mountains
Qandil Mountains
The Qandil Mountains are a mountainous area of northern Iraq near the Iraq–Iran border, and approximately 50 km south of the Turkey–Iraq–Iran tripoint. The region belongs to the Zagros mountain range and is difficult to access...
. The clashes resulted in dozens killed and wounded on both sides, with hundreds of displaced Kurdish villagers. The exact numbers of casualties on each side are a matter of controversy.
On September 29 PJAK accepted Iranian terms and withdrew fully from Iran's soil in what Iranian commanders described as a surrander. According to the IRGC they killed over 180 PJAK fighters and injured over 300 during the operations. The operation cost Iran $150 million.
July offensive
Iran started its offensive against the PJAK on July 11, after an escelation of PJAK activity in North-Western Iran and began shelling PJAK positions in Northern Iraq on July 16. On July 17, the IRGC killed at least five PJAK members in a raid that destroyed one of the group's headquarters in north-western Iran. PJAK claimed 21 Iranian soldiers were killed in the clashes. Iranian authorities on the other hand confirmed their casualties at 1 killed and 3 injured, while claiming to have inflicted "heavy losses" on the rebels. They announced that they had captured three rebel bases, one of which was identified as Marvan and was said to be the leading PJAK camp in the region.On July 20, PJAK killed 5 IRGC members and one IRGC commander. IRGC forces killed 35 PJAK fighters and captured several others during clashes on July 25. By July 26, more than 50 PJAK fighters and 8 Revolutionary Guards were reported to had been killed and at least 100 PJAK fighters had been wounded according to Iranian sources, while over 800 people had been displaced by the fighting according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. At least 3 civilians were killed. During clashes in the Jasosan and Alotan heights the next day, Iranian forces claimed to have killed over 21 PJAK fighters, confirming that two IRGC forces had been killed and two had been injured during the clashes.
On August 1, at request of the Kurdistan Regional Government
Kurdistan Regional Government
The Kurdistan Regional Government , , is the official ruling body of the predominantly Kurds-populated Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq...
, Iran halted its offensive and gave PJAK forces a one month grace period during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
to retreat all their forces from Iranian territory.
Sabotage of the Tabriz-Ankara pipeline
On July 29, suspected PJAK militants blew up the Tabriz–Ankara pipeline, which was repaired the next day. On August 1, Iranian forces killed 3 and arrested 4 of the militants said to be responsible for the attack in West Azerbaijan. At least one of them was a Turkish citizen. The Turkish civizen was later confirmed to be Murat Karasac alias "Cemil", who was reported to be the leader of the group that carried out the attack and was one of the 3 killed in the fighting. It was later reported in Turkish media that he was the PJAK's number 2 in command.Cease-fire attempts
On August 8 2011, Abdul Rahman Haji AhmadiAbdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi
Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi commonly known as just Haji Ahmadi is an Iranian Kurdish militant leader. He leads a group called the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan , an armed group fights against the Iranian government for the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region inside Iran. He lives in Cologne,...
, the leader of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan , said the armed rebel group is prepared to negotiate with Iran and maintained that Kurdish issues need to be solved through “peaceful means”.
In an exclusive interview with Rudaw, Haji Ahmadi acknowledged that in some cases compromise is inevitable and indicated that PJAK is willing to lay down its arms. He said fighting may not help Kurds secure political and cultural rights in Iran.
On August 8 2011, Murat Karayılan
Murat Karayilan
Murat Karayılan is the current acting leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party.He has been the PKK's acting leader ever since its original founder and leader, Abdullah Öcalan, was captured in 1999....
, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
Kurdistan Workers' Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
(PKK) said they withdrew all PJAK fighters out of Iran and sent them to PKK camps in the Qandil mountains. He said they replaced PJAK forces on the Iranian border with PKK forces to prevent further clashes and called on Iran to end attacks because unlike the PJAK, the PKK was not at war with Iran. Karayılan released the following statement:
- As the PKK, we have not declared any war against Iran. We do not wish to fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran either. Why? Because one of the aims of the international forces who seek to re-design the region is to besiege Iran. Currently, they are more preoccupied with Syria. If they just manage to work things out there as they wish, it will be Iran’s turn next. As Kurds, we do not think it quite right to be involved in a war with Iran at such a stage. You have no interest in targeting the PKK ... You must end this conflict. It is America that wants this conflict to go on. Because these attacks of yours serve America’s interests. They want both the PKK and Iran to grow weaker.
Alleged Capture of Murat Karayılan
On August 14, Alaeddin BoroujerdiAlaeddin Boroujerdi
Alaeddin Boroujerdi is the Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran.-Overview:...
head of the Iranian parliament's foreign affairs committee told Mehr News Agency
Mehr News Agency
The isan Iranian news agency headquartered in Tehran, owned by the .Established in July 2003, MNA is the most multilingual news agency in the Islamic Republic of Iran and its’ CEO and Director General is currently Reza Moghadasi....
that the PKK's top commander Murat Karayılan had been captured during the IRGC operation, a claim which was dismissed by the PKK, which told Roj TV
Roj TV
Roj TV is an international Kurdish satellite television station broadcasting programmes in the Kurmanji, Sorani and Hewrami dialects of the Kurdish language as well as in Zaza, Persian, Arabic, and Turkish.-Programming:...
that Karayılan was fine and free. Later, however, Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian politician, diplomat and academic and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 13 December 2010...
and Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
Ahmet Davutoglu
Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is a Turkish political scientist, an academic and an ambassador. On May 1, 2009, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey after being the chief advisor to the Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey.-Life and career:...
also denied the news. Turkish interior minister İdris Naim Şahin
İdris Naim Şahin
İdris Naim Sahin is a Turkish politician who was elected to the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 2002, representing Istanbul....
said the news confused Murat Karayılan with PJAK commander Murat Karasac, who had been killed by Iranian forces in West Azerbaijan on August 2.
Nonetheless this has led to many conspiracy theories in the media, for instance by Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman is one of two English-language dailies based in Turkey. Established on January 16, 2007, the newspaper's main competitor is the older Hürriyet Daily News....
columnist Markar Esayan, that Iran was trying to help Cemil Bayik
Cemil Bayik
Cemil Bayik , also known as Cuma, is one of the five founders of the Kurdish separatist movement Kurdistan Workers' Party , who are still alive and is among the organisation's top leadership as he is a member of the 12-man leadership council of the Koma Civaken Kurdistan , a Kurdish political...
execute an internal coup in the PKK by capturing Karayılan, so that Iran can gain influence over the organisation. Emre Uslu, another columnist for the Today's Zaman claimed that Iran had captured Karayılan to gain a political victory in the conflict over PJAK, by getting the PKK to stop supporting them. Pro-PKK think-tank Yusuf Ziyad believed that this was the beginning of the forming of a Shi'a-Kurdish alliance, by Iran. Ziyad and Hürriyet
Hürriyet
-External links:* * ** * *...
columnist Kadri Gürsel both believe that this is motivated by Turkish opposition towards the Ba'ath regime of Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Yeni Şafak
Yeni Safak
- Columnists :...
daily columnist Abdulkadir Selvi claimed that Iran had, in fact, taken Karayılan out of Qandil and brought him to Urumiyeh to keep him safe from Turkish air raids. Professor Sedat Laçiner
Sedat Laçiner
Sedat Laçiner , academic, columnist and author, is a Turkish academic specialist on the Middle East and International Relations, with particular reference to Turkish foreign policy. Prof. Dr...
, President of the Çanakkale
Çanakkale
Çanakkale is a town and seaport in Turkey, in Çanakkale Province, on the southern coast of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the town is 106,116 . The mayor is Ülgür Gökhan ....
university claimed Iran had released Karayılan and this is proof that they are supporting the PKK. The NATO missile shield in Turkey is also cited as reason for why Iran would want to support the PKK.
September offensive
On September 2, Iran renewed its military offensive against PJAK fighters in Northern Iraq in August after the expiring of the RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
cease-fire, just days after Turkish officials claimed that their August air strikes against the PKK had killed up to 160 militants ins Iraqi Kurdistan. Iranian sources claimed that the rebels had used the truce to dig tunnels in the Jasosan heights close to Iran's border. On September 4, Iran claimed the offensive had killed and injured 30 PJAK fighters and on September 5, 2011, the IRGC rejected a cease-fire declared by the PJAK as meaningless, as long as PJAK forces remained inside the borders of the Islamic Republic. Iran also said its troops had killed 30 PJAK fighters and wounded 40 during the several days of fighting.
On September 7, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed PJAK's deputy commander Majid Kavian
Majid Kavian
Majid Kavian , also known as Semko Sarholdan was the deupty commander of the militant Party of Free Life of Kurdistan until his death on September 3, 2011, at the age of 29...
alias "Semko Sarholdan" was killed while commanding an operation in Kutaman. Kavian, the PJAK's number 2 man was said to be the group's chief operational commander, as the group's number 1 leader, Haji Ahmadi lives in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. PJAK confirmed Kavian's death in a statement on their website which said he had been killed by a shrapnel from tank fire. On September 9, Iran claimed to have captured 2 more PJAK commanders.
On September 21, the IRGC claimed they had successfully forced the armed PJAK fighters from Iranian territory.
End of Operation
On September 29 2011, PJAK officialy surrendered with 180 deaths and 300 injured, accepting Iranian demands of retreating one mile from the Iranian border and ceasing armed operations. Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaei-Far declared that they had cleared all areas of PJAK activities and that they had reached an agreement with the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, in which they vowed to keep the border peacefull.In October, President of Iraqi Kurdistan
President of Iraqi Kurdistan
The President of Iraqi Kurdistan is the head of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. He is part of the Kurdistan Presidency Council.-1992-2005:...
Massoud Barzani
Massoud Barzani
Massoud Barzani is the current President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Barzani was born in Mahabad, Iran, during the rule of the Republic of Mahabad...
stated that the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan would from now on be safe, after an agreement with PJAK.
Casualties
On August 5, the leader of Party of free Life for Kurdistan, Rahman Haj Ahmedi, said to Newsmax that more than 300 Iranian Revolutionary Guards had been killed in a series of ambushes, while acknowledging 16 losses. Iranian officials however, claimed to have killed over 150 PJAK forces during the operations, confirming the deaths of only 17 Revolutionary Guards.More were killed in the August cross-border offensives, while Iran claimed to have also killed 30 PJAK fighters and wounded 40 in early September.
According to IRGC Brigadier General Abdullah Araqi, 180 PJAK fighters were killed and 300 injured by the end of the operation.
Responses
- Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
criticized Iran over its military operation, saying it had evidence its forces may have deliberately targeted civilians.: On Tuesday, September 6, the president of Iraq’s KurdistanIraqi KurdistanIraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
region, Massud Barzani, called on Kurdish fighters to relinquish their armed rebellion, and instead seek their goals through diplomacy.: The Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government eventually agreed with Iran to take measures against PJAK to stabilise the border region.