Report: Iran strikes northern Iraqi villages

Source: Xinhua | 05-03-2009 12:05

BAGHDAD, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian warplanes and artillery carried out a predawn bombardment on Iraqi villages near the Iranian-Iraqi border on Saturday, a Kurdish party website reported.

"Iranian artillery bombarded at 4:00 a.m. local time three villages of Kani Sief, Pashti Jomercy and Kara Sozi near the town of Panjwin, some 60 km east of the (Kurdish) city of Sulaimaniyah," said the website of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Two Iranian warplanes carried out an air strike on the same area later in the day, said the website of PUK headed by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Iran frequently pounded northern Iraq with artillery, but this is the first time for the Iranian warplanes to carry out air strikes inside Iraq.

Iran and Turkey often attack areas inside Iraq, targeting Kurdish rebels who use Iraq's Kurdistan as a safe haven and a launch pad for their attacks against authorities in Iran and Turkey.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei