Six Kurdish fighters killed in IRGC ambush as clashes spread across western Iran

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Thursday it killed 5 members of nan Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, while nan Kurdish guidance group told Fox News Digital that six of its Peshmerga — a word commonly utilized for Kurdish fighters — were killed successful what it described arsenic an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ambush successful northwest Iran.

The conflict marks different escalation successful Iran’s Kurdish-majority westbound aft days of reported attacks and clashes involving Iranian information forces, nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Kurdish equipped factions. 

It besides underscores nan existent position of Iranian Kurdish guidance groups that precocious were viewed by U.S. and Israeli officials arsenic a imaginable unit constituent against Tehran during nan U.S.–Israeli warfare pinch Iran, but yet stayed retired of nan conflict amid mixed signals from Washington and unit from some Iran and Turkey.

WAVE OF ATTACKS ON IRAN'S IRGC RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT RENEWED KURDISH INSURGENCY

The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan said six of its Peshmerga — Karo Hormuziari, Fardin Changizi, Mohammad Khaki, Abdullah Mohammadpour, Twana Osmani and Mohammad Amin Bayezidi — were killed successful a conflict pinch Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps adjacent Piranshahr successful Iranian Kurdistan July 1, 2026. (The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan)

Majeed Gly, president of nan American Kurdish Committee, told Fox News Digital that nan latest clashes should not beryllium publication arsenic a full-scale uprising, but besides should not beryllium dismissed arsenic regular separator violence.

"What I’m proceeding is, this is not business arsenic usual," Gly said. "This is not for illustration periodic clashes connected nan border. This is operations, and it seems to beryllium heavy inside."

Gly said Kurdish vexation has grown sharply aft months of Iranian attacks connected Kurdish areas and opposition-linked sites, including successful nan Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He said nan region has been deed by much than 850 attacks since February, leaving astatine slightest six civilians dormant and dozens much wounded.

Hejar Berenji, nan U.S. typical of nan Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, aliases PDKI, confirmed to Fox News Digital that six PDKI Peshmerga were killed successful a conflict pinch IRGC forces successful nan Piranshahr area of Iranian Kurdistan.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had killed 5 members of nan banned PDKI successful northwest Iran, Reuters reported Thursday, citing authorities media. The IRGC said nan group was ambushed aft entering Iranian territory successful mountainous separator areas adjacent Piranshahr successful West Azerbaijan Province.

WAVE OF ATTACKS ON IRAN'S IRGC RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT RENEWED KURDISH INSURGENCY

Kurdish separatists attempted Iran crossing from Iraq amid protests. (Mustafa Ozer/AFP via Getty Images)

Berenji identified nan six Peshmerga arsenic Karo Hormuziari, Fardin Changizi, Mohammad Khaki, Abdullah Mohammadpour, Twana Osmani and Mohammad Amin Bayezidi. He said nan incident took spot Wednesday nighttime successful nan colony of Qizqapan, adjacent Piranshahr, and said nan PDKI portion was connected a "political and organizational mission" erstwhile it was "ambushed by a ample and heavy equipped IRGC force."

"This should beryllium understood successful nan broader discourse of nan Islamic Republic’s continued repression successful Iranian Kurdistan and its repeated attacks connected Iranian Kurdish civilian camps successful nan Kurdistan Region of Iraq, moreover during ceasefire and speech periods," Berenji said. "The authorities has accrued unit connected Kurdish communities because it understands that Iranian Kurds stay among nan astir organized and wished antiauthoritarian forces wrong Iran."

The PDKI, is 1 of Iran’s oldest Kurdish guidance movements. The group has been progressive successful decades of intermittent conflict pinch nan Islamic Republic, while Tehran agelong has viewed Kurdish equipped groups arsenic separatist threats, while others picture it arsenic a historic, centrist and nationalist Iranian Kurdish guidance group that Iran has targeted for years, including done assassinations of its leaders decades ago.

The Kurds are 1 of nan largest stateless taste groups successful nan Middle East, pinch communities dispersed crossed Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. In Iran, galore Kurds unrecorded successful nan country’s mountainous westbound and northwest, wherever Kurdish guidance groups person agelong accused Tehran of repression, executions, forced assimilation and subject crackdowns. Iranian authorities position equipped Kurdish factions arsenic separatist aliases "terrorist threats."

The latest conflict followed respective days of violence successful occidental Iran. A akin incident adjacent Piranshahr was reported by Iranian authorities media Tuesday, pinch nan IRGC saying it had killed six members of what it called an "opposition and separatist group." 

Two IRGC members were killed and 2 wounded successful a shooting successful Kermanshah Province Monday evening, an onslaught claimed by a recently formed Kurdish equipped group seeking retaliation for nan IRGC’s domiciled successful suppressing nan 2022–2023 protestation movement, according to nan Kurdish authorities group Hengaw.

Iran besides appeared to beryllium expanding unit connected Kurdish guidance groups beyond PJAK, nan Kurdistan Free Life Party, aft days of clashes betwixt PJAK and nan IRGC, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday. 

Berenji said nan latest conflict was not a consequence to ongoing U.S.–Iran memorandum of knowing negotiations, which stay unresolved arsenic talks proceed without a finalized agreement.

WAVE OF ATTACKS ON IRAN'S IRGC RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT RENEWED KURDISH INSURGENCY

Vice President JD Vance (center) speaks pinch Army Chief and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir (left) and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar aft arriving for nan US-Iran bid talks successful Islamabad April 11, 2026.  (Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

"The Kurdish struggle for freedom, democracy, and nationalist authorities predates nan existent negotiations and is not limited connected them," Berenji said. "At nan aforesaid time, immoderate statement that ignores nan Kurdish question, nan regime’s attacks connected Kurdish civilians, and nan repression wrong Iran will not bring existent stability."

Gly said Kurdish anger has been compounded by connection successful nan U.S.–Iran memorandum of knowing that critics construe arsenic Washington agreeing not to interfere successful Iran’s soul affairs.

KHAMENEI BODY IN COLD STORAGE AS FEARED BASIJ MOBILIZES AHEAD OF HISTORIC IRAN FUNERAL

People return portion successful a march successful Erbil, Iraq, connected April 21, 2026, expressing support for nan unity of Iranian Kurdish parties and condemning Iranian rocket strikes and subject actions against Kurdish groups successful nan Kurdistan Region of Iraq.  (Rasul Gawhari / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

"This condemnation has taken each Iranian guidance group nan incorrect way, particularly nan Kurds," Gly said. 

He based on that moreover during negotiations pinch dispute powers, nan United States should not wantonness its nationalist support for state movements, invoking erstwhile President Ronald Reagan’s attack to nan Soviet Union during nan Cold War.

Gly said he does not spot clear grounds that Kurdish groups person gained awesome caller subject capabilities, but said nan cognition of Iran’s spot has changed.

"What has changed is nan cognition of weakness of Iran," Gly told Fox News Digital. "They are little acrophobic of nan regime."

The caller unit carries broader value for Washington because Iranian Kurdish guidance groups were precocious discussed arsenic a imaginable ground unit point against Tehran. 

U.S. officials and Kurdish groups had discussed a imaginable subject cognition against Iranian information forces successful occidental Iran, Reuters reported successful March, while a abstracted study said Israel was backing Iranian Kurdish plans to prehend Iranian separator areas, though specified an cognition would apt require U.S. and Israeli support.

But those expectations quickly faltered. In April, Kurdish fighters yet stayed retired of nan war because of mixed signals from Washington and Israel, arsenic good arsenic Iranian threats and strikes against Kurdish positions successful Iraq. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged President Donald Trump during nan conflict to forestall Kurdish forces from launching a crushed cognition wrong Iran, reflecting Ankara’s longstanding guidance to Kurdish equipped movements gaining crushed successful nan region, Reuters besides reported. 

During nan conflict, Trump told Reuters he would beryllium "all for it" if nan Kurds wanted to move against Iran and said their nonsubjective should beryllium "to win," but Kurdish commanders were disappointment by nan deficiency of a clear U.S. aliases Israeli strategy.

Berenji said nan PDKI does not activity chaos, but insisted Kurdish forces person nan correct to take sides themselves.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Naval units from Iran and Russia simulate nan rescue of a hijacked alloy during associated drills astatine nan Port of Bandar Abbas successful Hormozgan, Iran, connected Feb. 19, 2026. (Iranian Army/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"We activity a democratic, pluralistic, secular, and national Iran wherever each nations and communities tin unrecorded pinch dignity and rights," he said. "But nan Kurdish group besides person nan correct to take sides themselves against repression, intimidation, and attacks by nan IRGC."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Iran’s ngo to nan United Nations for comment.