IRGC denies presence of PKK militants in Iran near border

Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-13 23:57:38|Editor: huaxia

TEHRAN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The ground force commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Saturday denied that the members of the outlawed Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are present on Iranian soil near the common border with Turkey.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a visit to military bases in northwestern Iran, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour dismissed as "irresponsible and baseless" the allegations made by Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu that the PKK elements are on the Iranian soil.

Earlier this week, Soylu said that around 100 PKK "terrorists" are in Iran's Dambat, near Turkey, which "constitutes a real danger."

"There is very good and fruitful interaction between the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey along the common border. Thus, the officials of the friendly and neighbor state of Turkey are expected to make contacts with the Islamic Republic of Iran through official channels ... before making any media comment about border incidents," Pakpour was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

The IRGC ground force is in charge of security in Iran's northwestern areas and is closely and constantly monitoring the situation across the border regions, he said.

The PKK, which has been fighting against the Turkish army for over 30 years for an autonomous region in the southeastern part of the country, is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Enditem

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