The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) conducted a fresh round of military strikes on anti-Iran terror groups in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region with in a barrage of missile and drone attacks.
The IRGC’s Ground Force smashed the strongholds of terror groups in Kurdistan region in Northern Iraq on Monday, with ballistic missiles and suicide drones.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour gave details of the fresh round of military operation, saying his forces are cautious to prevent any collateral damage.
He added that attacks on the positions of terrorists based in Northern Iraq involved the strongholds that were away from centers of population.
The top commander noted that a number of these sites had been targeted in an operation in late September, but the terrorists returned to those sites and were stationed there again.
"Today’s military strikes were carried out with missiles as well as suicide and combat drones," the brigadier general continued, adding that the strongholds of terrorists along the common border were also hit in artillery attacks.
The terrorists have taken shelter in the populated areas in order to use the ordinary people as human shields, he stated, stressing that the IRGC is cautious to avoid hitting innocent people and families.
The military official said the new round of strikes took place after several warnings to the Kurdistan Region and the Baghdad government officials about the need to expel and disarm the separatist groups based in Northern Iraq.
He warned that the IRGC will definitely hit more positions of terrorists in the next military operations.
Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kana'ani also reacted to the IRGC’s strikes on the bases of terror groups in the Kurdistan region.
“Iran will not remain silent in the face of threats to its territorial security, especially those being posed by separatist groups to border areas, and will defend its security,” Kana’ani told reporters on Monday.
The IRGC has in recent weeks launched a series of aerial operations on the headquarters of Iraqi Kurdistan-based terrorist groups.
The Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN has said diplomacy has failed to bring an end to the presence of terrorists in Kurdistan region and the terror activities in the Arab country has left Tehran with no other option but to use military force against them.
In mid-October, the Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN sent a letter to the head of the Security Council to elaborate on Tehran’s reasons for its recent military operation against terrorist groups in Northern Iraq, explaining that terrorists have used Iraqi territory to carry out armed attacks against civilians and Iran's infrastructure.
The operation came after the illegal entry of armed teams linked with the Kurdish terrorist groups into the Iranian border cities in recent months.
The IRGC Ground Force has announced that that the operations against terror bases will continue until all anti-Iran separatist and terrorist outfits holed up in the rugged mountainous area lay down their arms and surrender.
The Iranian Armed Forces, specially the IRGC, have repeatedly warned that they will never tolerate the presence and activity of terrorist groups along the Northwestern border and will give strong and decisive responses in case of anti-security activities.
The IRGC has on countless occasions attacked and destroyed terrorist hideouts in the Kurdistan region with artillery fire, missiles and drones.
Military officials warn of Tehran’s continued attacks against the strongholds of anti-revolutionary groups in the region, specially the Iraqi Kurdistan region. They threatened the Americans that their bases in the region should also be abolished and not be used as an anti-revolutionary center.