Due to the Islamic Republic’s military operations against Kurdish parties in the mountainous regions of the Kurdistan province of Iran, which have been ongoing since 12 June, fires have broken out, and a ban on entering the operation areas remains in effect, the Rojhilatê Kurdistan Defence Units (YRK) Press Centre announced on Friday.
The villages of Marivan (Merîvan) have been particularly affected, as fires broke out on separate occasions on 13 and 21 June. Civilians residing in these areas attempted to extinguish the flames but were met with resistance from the Iranian forces. The ban on entering the operation areas prevented them from accessing the affected regions, resulting in significant forest and land destruction, according to the YRK.
“This is causing anxiety in the population, it’s having a negative impact on people’s lives,” said the YRK.
The IRGC has been bombing Kurdish parties in the mountainous regions surrounding the cities of Kamyaran, Sarvabad (Sewlawa), and Marivan in the Kurdish-populated west of the country known as Rojhilat.
Concerned environmental activists recently stressed that the Iranian government’s military expansion and operations threatened environmental protection in Mount Kusalan (Kosalan).
The Kusalan rural district was designated as protected by Iran’s Ministry of Environment. However, since 2007, the IRGC has been constructing military bases in these protected areas, disregarding objections from environmentalists. Along with the fires caused to the attacks, these military activities have also resulted in the destruction of pasturelands and forests, with the construction of roads in their place.
The ongoing military operations and the resulting fires highlight the escalating tensions between the Iranian forces and Kurdish parties in the region. The Kurdish population in the Kurdistan province has long sought greater autonomy and recognition of their cultural and political rights.
