Iran: Suspected PJAK militants kill 11 soldiers near Marivan July 21 /update 2

Event

Militants killed at least 11 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) volunteer Basij soldiers at a military post near Marivan (Kordestan province), close to the Iran-Iraq border, on Saturday, July 21. Kordestan security officials blamed the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) group for the attack. IRGC forces have reportedly begun a search for the militants. Additional PJAK attacks are possible in Kordestan province in the near-term.

Context

The PJAK is a banned Iranian Kurdish group designated by Iran, Turkey, and the US as a terrorist organization. The insurgent group, founded in the mid-2000s, primarily operates in the Iran-Iraq border region and seeks the self-determination of Iranian Kurds through the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in Iran. The group also seeks to change the structure of the Iranian government from a unitary, theocratic state to a federal, democratic system.

More generally, the threat of militancy remains high in all of Iran's border areas, especially in the west and the east, due to weak border monitoring by neighboring countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Advice

Individuals in Kordestan province are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid the Iran-Iraq border region, remain vigilant for militant activity, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities and their home governments.