Mojtaba Ja'afari, advisor to the commander of the Iranian army, claimed Monday that the Iranian Army's Airborne Special Forces Brigade 23 conducted 14 ground operations in the Erbil and Sulaymaniyah areas of Iraqi Kurdistan over the past two months, killing several Kurdish opposition fighters and capturing others. He also stated that Iranian forces kidnapped two Kurdish activists from the Sulaymaniyah area yesterday. The claims are unverified and based on a single Iranian source.
In a further elaboration of earlier claims, Iranian military advisor Mojtaba Ja'afari stated Monday that the Iranian Army's 23rd Airborne Special Forces Brigade conducted 14 ground operations in the Erbil and Sulaymaniyah areas of Iraqi Kurdistan over the past two months, killing several Kurdish opposition fighters and capturing others. Ja'afari also alleged that Iranian forces abducted two Kurdish activists from the Sulaymaniyah area yesterday (Sunday).
The Zioneer first reported on the claims at 14:13 Jerusalem, when Iranian state television aired Ja'afari's initial statement confirming 14 ground operations. A prior report, also published at 14:13, had identified the unit as the Iranian 'Takavar' special forces. The current update provides the unit's official designation — the 23rd Brigade — and adds the kidnapping allegation, which was not present in the earlier accounts.
The operations are set against a backdrop of ongoing Iranian military activity in Iraqi Kurdistan. As The Zioneer reported on July 9, thousands of IRGC and army special forces were deployed along the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. In subsequent weeks, reports indicated cross-border operations by Iranian units, including a July 19 report of 11 ground operations by the 65th Division, and a July 21 report from a Kurdish source that Iran killed 11 Kurdish fighters in drone strikes. The region has also seen broader international strikes, with US and Saudi forces targeting Iranian-aligned targets in Iraq in late July.
The claims remain unverified. No independent source — Kurdish, Iraqi, or international — has confirmed the reported operations, casualties, or abductions. The sole source is the Iranian advisor's statement, and no evidence has been provided. The timing and precise scope of the operations, as well as the identities of those allegedly killed or captured, remain unclear.
3 developments
- DevelopingKurdish source: Iran killed 11 Kurdish fighters in drone strikes two days ago
- StrongIranian report: 65th Division special forces conducted 11 ground ops in northern Iraq within past 24 hours
- DevelopingUnverified report: Iran destroying Kurdish forces in Iraq, thousands dead
- StrongIran claims strikes hit Kurdish opposition headquarters in Erbil
Source and signal
- Open-source intake