‘Iran’s border areas purged of PJAK’

An Iranian Defense Ministry official says all border regions in northwest Iran have been purged of the Party for Free Life of Kurdistan’s (PJAK) terrorist elements.

Deputy Defense Minister for political affairs, Nasser Dehqan, added on Thursday that Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces have been stationed at highlands previously occupied by PJAK forces on border zero points.

“Iran’s neighboring countries, including Iraq’s Kurdistan region are willing to dismantle and disarm PJAK and ban its military activities in that region and have been cooperating with our country in this regard,” IRNA quoted him as saying.

Dehqan noted that although the threat posed by PJAK group was too insignificant to put Iran at serious risk, it could have untoward future consequences for the country.

The deputy defense minister said weapons seized from PJAK clearly prove that they are mercenaries of the United States which uses them as lever to pressure Iran.

PJAK is an offshoot of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which regularly carries out cross-border raids along Iran’s western borders with Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. It is listed as a terrorist organization by many countries and international bodies.