Iranian drone strike hits Komala base in Balisan, Iraq
A drone struck a Komala opposition base in the Balisan area of Iraq's Kurdistan Region on Saturday night, Komala said, blaming Iran's Revolutionary Guards; casualty accounts conflict.
ERBIL — A drone struck a base belonging to the Iranian Kurdish opposition group Komala in the Balisan area of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region on Saturday night, Komala said, blaming Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The strike took place at around 10 p.m. on Saturday in the Alana Valley in the Balisan area of Erbil province, about 90 kilometres north-east of Erbil, according to a Komala statement reported by regional media. Komala said an explosive-laden Shahed drone targeted one of its bases, that its fighters in the area were safe, and that the strike damaged buildings and facilities.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency also reported the attack, saying that, as part of a drone operation by the Revolutionary Guards’ ground forces, Komala’s headquarters in the Balisan region was targeted last night, according to Agence France-Presse. The Guards have not immediately claimed responsibility directly, AFP reported.
Casualty accounts conflict: summaries of Mehr’s reporting cited by live blogs said initial assessments pointed to significant casualties and damage, while Komala and regional reports said the strike caused material damage but no casualties. Neither account has been independently confirmed.
The incident follows another reported drone strike against a Komala base in the Balisan area on 17 October, when two drones hit buildings and a guard post, causing material damage without reported casualties, according to Rudaw. In the deadliest recent attack, strikes on Komala positions near Zargwez in Sulaymaniyah province on 17 July killed nine members of the group, according to Kurdish media and human rights organisations.
Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region hosts camps belonging to several Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, which Tehran has repeatedly accused of threatening its national security.
Sources
- Arab News (AFP), “Tehran strikes Iranian Kurdish base in Iraq with drones: Iranian media”: https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/tehran-strikes-iranian-kurdish-base-in-iraq-with-drones-iranian-media-3008146
- Arab Times, “Iranian Regime Attacks Kurdish Base in Iraq With Drones”: https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/iranian-regime-attacks-kurdish-base-in-iraq-with-drones/
- Al Jazeera live blog, “Iran war live”: https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/liveblog/2026/10/25/iran-war-live-trump-hints-at-possible-sunday-iran-attack-or-deal-reached
- Indian Express live updates, “US-Iran War Live Updates”: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/iran-war-live-updates-us-military-not-allowed-enter-gulf-trump-strike-warning-saudi-attack-oil-prices-india-hormuz-shipping-10935569/lite/
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