Iran escalates attacks on Kurdish opposition in northern Iraq
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The gist
Two explosive drones hit a Komala base near Erbil on Wednesday, causing damage but no casualties.
The strikes continue a months-long Iranian campaign against Kurdish groups based in Iraq.
Background
Komala is a Kurdish Iranian opposition group, one of five Kurdish groups in a coalition against the Iranian regime, with bases in northern Iraq. Iran has repeatedly targeted bases belonging to such groups in the Kurdistan Region, accusing them of carrying out attacks inside Iranian territory, and has tried to get Iraq to expel them. The strikes intensified after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, putting the Kurdistan Regional Government in a difficult spot as it keeps close Western ties while sharing a long border with Iran.
How it unfolded
- Feb 28, 2026Since this date, the Kurdistan Region has faced over 1,000 drone and missile attacks during the US–Iran war, killing over 30 people.
- Mar 6, 2026The Kurdistan Freedom Party said four of its fighters were injured in a missile and drone attack on one of its bases.
- Mar 7, 2026The IRGC said it had struck three Kurdish Iranian opposition groups operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
- Jul 2026Attacks became increasingly deadly, with around nine people killed in July, according to local officials.
- Sep 30, 2026Coalition forces withdrew from Iraq; a drone strike hit an empty PDKI cemetery the same day, and five attacks on Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have followed.
- Oct 12, 2026Iran launched a new round of drone attacks on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, including a strike on a PDKI camp near Koya.
- Oct 20, 2026Iran's ambassador to Iraq claimed Iraq agreed to expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups; an Iraqi source disputed that.
- Nov 3, 2026A strike damaged a house in Tawella, in Halabja province; a security source reported extensive damage but no casualties.
- Nov 4, 2026Two explosive drones targeted a Komala base in the Alana valley of Balisan, about 90 km northeast of Erbil, around 8:45 a.m.; Komala reported material damage but no casualties.
Key terms
- Komala
- A social-democratic Kurdish party in Iran with an armed wing, based in Iraq's Kurdistan Region.
- Peshmerga
- The internal security forces of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, responsible for regional defense.
- IRGC
- A multi-service military force of Iran, separate from the regular army and reporting to the supreme leader.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Ali Ranjbari, head of Komala's relations, called the strike an "Islamic Republic's drone attack on Komala Peshmerga" and accused the IRGC of being behind it.
- Official
- Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani criticized the Kurdish opposition groups' actions, saying they endanger the region.
- Caution
- Security sources said they had no immediate details on casualties, damage or who was responsible for the November 4 strikes.
Still unverified
Iran's ambassador to Iraq claimed on October 20 that Iraq had agreed to expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region; an Iraqi source disputes that an expulsion agreement was reached. Iranian Kurdish groups denied receiving any weapons after a CNN report in March that they were armed by the CIA.