Iran today denied it has sent its special
operations forces to Kurdistan region in Iraq by the request of the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan led by the former Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani.
Iranian Foreign Ministry officials have
told semi-official Fars News Agency the reports published by Arab media over
sending IRGC soecial operations forces to Kurdistan at PUK’s request are “false
and fabricated.” (Fars News Agency, 2 August)
On Friday, Pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported that hundreds of heavily armed IRGC Special Forces had landed at Sulaymaniyah International Airport during the week and were deployed to Kirkuk province, citing a senior Kurdish security official as its source, who has also told the newspaper that the deployment was arranged by the PUK. The Kurdish Peshmerga forces and PUK’s own Asayis security force control the oil-rich province, and it was not clear why the PUK wanted the additional deployment of IRGC special forces in the area. It was the Asharq Al-Awsat’s report that sources at the Iranian foreign ministry denied today.
On Friday, Pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported that hundreds of heavily armed IRGC Special Forces had landed at Sulaymaniyah International Airport during the week and were deployed to Kirkuk province, citing a senior Kurdish security official as its source, who has also told the newspaper that the deployment was arranged by the PUK. The Kurdish Peshmerga forces and PUK’s own Asayis security force control the oil-rich province, and it was not clear why the PUK wanted the additional deployment of IRGC special forces in the area. It was the Asharq Al-Awsat’s report that sources at the Iranian foreign ministry denied today.
File photo: The entrance of Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs
bukiding in Tehran (FNA)
A well thought out and clever plan on behalf of the PUK but a very risk move on the part of Teheran. May alienate the Maliki government from its supposed ally.
ReplyDeleteIs there any news about Kubani? ISIS had them encircled.
ReplyDelete