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Monday, September 27, 2010

IRGC counter-terrorism operation into Iraq

By Mark Pyruz

It is being reported by Iranian media sources that the IRGC has conducted a counter-terrorism operation into Iraqi territory, following a terrorist bombing in the city of Mahabad.

From the Associated Press:

Iran state TV said today that Iranian forces crossed into neighboring Iraq and killed 30 fighters from a group it claims was involved in last week's bombing of a military parade.

The report quotes a general of the elite Revolutionary Guards as saying the terrorists were killed yesterday in a clash "beyond the border," and that his forces were still in pursuit of two men who escaped the ambush.

While Iran has said in the past it would target armed groups on Iraqi soil, this is a rare case of it actually admitting to an attack.

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The parade was one of several held around the country to mark the 30th anniversary of the start of the Iran-Iraq war.

The city of Mahabad is home to 190,000 people - most of them Kurds and Sunni Muslims. Iran is predominantly Shiite.

Iran has already blamed the attack on Kurdish separatists who have fought Iranian forces in the area for years. But most Kurdish groups condemned the attack, and no one has so far claimed responsibility for it.

Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, head of the Guards' ground forces, said Sunday the armed group was backed by Israel, the U.S. and members of the Iraqi Baath Party, former supporters of deposed leader Saddam Hussein.

This Iranian counter-terrorism operation comes on the heels of President Ahmadinejad's remarks at the UN General Assembly, where he criticized the US response to the 9/11 attacks:

"is it rational to launch a classic war through widespread deployment of troops that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people to counter a terrorist group?" - President Ahmadinejad

Driving home that point and being prominently publicized, the IRGC responds by staging this limited CT operation into Iraq. These CT Ops under the Ahmadinejad administration are a more pointed response than those seen during the Khatami era, where trouble in Afghanistan once saw a brief mobilization of the Iranian army, but no determinative combat operations. The IRGC has become a more flexible fighting force under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Jafari.

This incident also demonstrates Iranian political confidence in its strong ties to the real power centers within the Iraqi government, and vice-versa.

5 comments:

  1. One day i hope to be able to go back and research the trend and history of the Iranian attacks against rebel groups (whether the PJAK or MEK) in Iraq and be able to view them in the context of external politics as well as a response to the threat itself.

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  2. Mark,

    Do you have any further info on the situation there? A spokesman for the Kurdish group has denied any Iranian incursion across the border. But they had denied the bombing too!

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  3. iran is in reality war with us from 2005 until know only reason each one did not poblicly admid it yet my point of view iran should strike hard in afghanistan border until helmant province to creat buffer zione in that area which do not let any insergen inter inside country plus 20 km in turkiministan area of creation of buffer zion that no insegan inter in same in pakistan regien.

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  4. Had they not been affected, they would not have denied it... since Iran did not mention their name.

    Iranians are not only in Iraqi Kurdistan but all over Iraq and Afghanistan, They have more friends and allies than the US and its allies soldiers.

    Rest assured, Iran has the upperhand and at the end of the day it'll turn for Iran.

    But it must not happen immediately, because the west has to get used to the idea of losing the grip, for fear of reactionary attacks.

    Dariush London

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  5. Dream away little lamb.

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