Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) bombarded a large area of Shaho mountain to oppose the Kurdish parties’ forces over the past few days. It took environmental activists and local people several days to put off the fire caused by bombardment as their efforts were blocked by the massive number of IRGCs present in the area.
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, “On Monday, Aug 7, 2017, a large number of IRGC forces manoeuvred in the area of Shaho mountain near Tangivar and Palangan on the pretext of confronting the Kurdish parties. During this manoeuvre, the IRGC forces bombarded Hawari Shaykh Aziz and Pacharash.
“Environmental activists and the local people went to the Mountain to control the fire caused by bombardment but they were threatened by the Revolutionary Guard forces who tried to block their efforts. However, the extensive presence of environmental activists from the cities Kamyaran, Sanandaj, Dehgolan, and Mariwan forced the IRGC forces to agree with firefighting operations after a day. The fire was finally put off after two days of hard work”, an Environmental activist told KHRN.
According to this source, the IRGC forces did not help to control the fire despite causing the fire in the first place. However, the environmental activists and local people managed to put off the fire with their hard work and limited facilities.
This environmental activist added that the Revolutionary Guards have created military bases in the mountainous and forests of several cities including Maku, Orumiyeh, Baneh, Mariwan, Sardasht, Paweh, Javanroud, Kamyaran and Dalaho on the pretext of confronting the Kurdish parties’ forces over the past years. They have also destroyed the rangelands and forests by constructing roads to the above-mentioned military bases. The Revolutionary Guards believe that the mountainous forests are strategic spots where for hiding the forces of the Kurdish parties hide. Therefore, they have been bombarding these areas or causing intentional fires which have destroyed the environment.
