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Iraq says Iran continues shelling Iraqi
Kurdistan despite protest
30.8.2007
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August 30, 2007
BAGHDAD, -- Iran has continued to fire shells
into Kurdistan (northern Iraq) despite protests from
Baghdad, threatening relations between the two
neighbors, Iraqi Foreign Minister
Hoshiyar Zebari said on Thursday.
Iraqi Kurdish officials have complained about
cross-border shelling since mid-August. Cross-border
skirmishes also occasionally occur as Iraq's
neighbors Turkey and Iran battle Kurdish separatist
rebels operating from bases in Iraq's mountainous
northeastern region of Kurdistan.
"On the 28th of this month we summoned the Iranian
ambassador and delivered a memorandum about shelling
across the Iraqi border. We called at that time for
Iran to immediately halt this operation because it
is harming relations between the two countries,"
Zebari told a news conference.
"According to information we have received, the
shelling is continuing today in Erbil (province). We
again call on the Iranian government to immediately
stop this military operation."
Baghdad says hundreds of Kurds have had to be
evacuated from border villages as a result of
Iranian shelling.
On Thursday about 1000 Kurds in Sulaimaniyah
protested the shelling, and called on the Kurdish
government to take extreme measures.
Kurdish PJAK guerrillas, who seek autonomy for
Kurdish areas in Iran, are believed to shelter in
the Iraqi Kurdistan border area.
"We have said many times that we will not allow any
group to operate from our territory against
neighboring countries. But such cases are to be
dealt with by discussion," Zebari said, adding that
Baghdad was willing to discuss the issue with Iran.
"Yes, there is a group that opposes the government
of Iran, the PJAK, which moves inside the Iraqi
border. But this does not justify continuous daily
shelling," he said.
"We are not so weak that everyone can interfere and
fire shells across our border and we would not do
anything about it."
Iran has yet to comment officially regarding the
shelling.
Baghdad and Tehran also have a tense relationship
over U.S. accusations that Iran supports Shi'ite
militants in Iraq with weapons and training, which
Iran denies.
Iraq has had similar disputes in the past with
Turkey over Kurdish separatist guerrillas hiding in
its border region.
Reuters
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