Increased IRGC Forces Create Security State Atmosphere in Border Regions

Pictured: a border region military base, sent to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran by a local source. According to the source, the widespread presence of IRGC forces in the region has disrupted residents’ daily lives.

At least 100 new IRGC forces have been stationed in the Kurdish border regions in Western Iran in recent weeks, a local source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. The forces are engaged in patrolling the area and setting up inspection posts, which have limited local traffic into the mountain regions, as well as monitoring the comings and goings of the livestock owners and farmers of the region.

According to the local source, over the past few weeks, these IRGC forces have been set up in the border areas of Marivan, Hooramanat, Sardasht, Piranshahr, and Maku. Along with local IRGC forces, they patrol the mountainous and border areas. On May 19, a group of IRGC forces in the Jandaran region near the township of Sardasht confronted forces from the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). The confrontation led to the deaths of two IRGC local forces, Kamel and Mohammad Shamsi.

The local source told the Campaign that after this confrontation, the IRGC forces attempted blind firing of cannons into the mountainous region. The region had previously been evacuated of farmers who live in this area or herders transferring their livestock. “Over the past few days, IRGC Air Force helicopters transferred many forces to the border heights in the Ghandil Mountain region. These forces have limited the comings and goings of herders and farmers who live in this region and the atmosphere is one of a severe security state now,” said the source.

According to the source, in July 2011, aiming to clear the Sardasht Border Region from PJAK forces, IRGC forces began widespread operations against them, which led to losses by both sides. Approximately one month later, the confrontations ended with the announcement of a ceasefire. “The confrontations between the IRGC and PJAK forces had practically ended until last week, but recently there have been several entanglements in the Sardasht and Maku regions during which several IRGC forces have been killed,” the source added.