Iranian Kurdish Struggle Linked to Turkey, Syria
Iran is not admitting that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps units are operating in Syria.
On June 6, near the northwestern border of Iran, Yusuf Hamzelu, a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported. He was buried in Zandan on June 10.
However, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), PKK’s Iranian branch, denied the news report in a media release and actually accused Iran of hiding the fact that the Iranian soldier was killed by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Syria.
There have been claims before that Iran is actively assisting Syria’s embattled president Bashar al-Assad. The Lebanese Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, has also been actively supporting Assad’s operations against Syrian rebels, which led to Assad retaking Qusair near the Lebanese border.
PJAK foreign affairs official Shamal Bishir told Al-Monitor that PJAK hasn't fought with the Iranian army since May 19. There were previous clashes in Iran’s Maku and Sardast regions near the border.
