Key facts
- Two members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were killed and two wounded in a shooting in Kermanshah province.
- The attack occurred outside the Guards members' homes.
- A newly formed Kurdish group, 'Xori Hiwa' (Sun of Hope), claimed responsibility.
- The group accused the Guards of suppressing protests during the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement.
- The incident took place in Paveh, western Iran.
Two members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were killed and two others wounded in a shooting incident in the western province of Kermanshah on Monday evening, according to state media reports on Tuesday. The attackers opened fire outside the victims' homes, and authorities are investigating to identify those responsible.
The Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that a newly formed armed group calling itself "Xori Hiwa" (Sun of Hope) claimed responsibility for the operation. This group accused the Revolutionary Guards personnel of involvement in the suppression of protests in Kurdish areas during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, which began in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini.
According to the semi-official Mehr News Agency, the two men killed were identified as Khaled Khaledinia and Burhan Karisani, both members of the IRGC's Basij militia. Khaledi was described as a well-known Basij member in the Kurdish cities of Paveh and Javanrud, accused by Kurdish activists of playing a direct role in the crackdown on protests that followed Mahsa Amini's death. The "Woman Life Freedom" demonstrations initially started in Kurdish areas before spreading across Iran.
Kurdish activists and rights groups noted that the IRGC and Iran's Ministry of Intelligence have historically recruited local Kurds as informants and auxiliary security personnel, particularly in economically deprived regions. The killings represent the third attack targeting Iranian security forces in the Kurdish region within a week, following separate assaults in Baneh and Mahabad that resulted in casualties.
Local Kurdish media reported that "Sun of Hope" is a newly emerged group about which little is publicly known. The killings occur at a sensitive time for Iranian authorities, who have increased security personnel presence, especially in Kurdish areas, amid concerns of renewed unrest. The crackdown in Javanrud in late 2022 involved the deployment of heavy weaponry by the IRGC and Basij, leading to numerous detentions and reports of torture.