Iraqi Kurdish officials yesterday reported Iranian artillery shelling of positions held by fighters of the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) inside Iraq. This was a day after the Iraqi defence ministry said Iranian troops had recently attacked PKK positions inside Iraq, crossing 5km into Iraqi territory near Haj Umran. Iran denied the charge.

The PKK is a primarily Turkish group, but an allied Iranian Kurdish group, Pejak, has clashed repeatedly with Iranian security forces over the past year. Both Turkey and Iran, with substantial Kurdish minorities, are concerned about the example of autonomy in Iraq.