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Death toll from Iran gunfight rises to 26
The death toll from a fierce gunbattle between Iranian police and Kurdish rebels in the western province of Kermanshah last week has risen to 26, the ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.Of those killed in the April 24 clash near Ravansar close to the Iraqi border, 18 were policemen and eight were members of the Kurdish rebel Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), provincial justice chief Allahyar Malekshahi said. "Five people suspected of participating in this terrorist attack have been arrested and are under investigation," he said. Iranian state television said last week that 10 policemen and 10 rebels were killed. Western Iran, which has a sizeable Kurdish population, has seen deadly fighting in recent years between Iranian security forces and PJAK rebels operating out of rear-bases in neighbouring Iraq. The group is closely allied with the Turkish Kurdish rebel group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey all have significant ethnic Kurdish minorities. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-03 |
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