According to reports received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted mountainous and forested areas along the border of Marivan County with artillery and drone strikes on the morning of Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Based on the information received, the attacks began at approximately 7:30 a.m. from IRGC positions near the villages of Gagol, Hanehsheikhan, and Qamishleh, and struck the forested highlands surrounding them. Several suicide drones also hit and detonated at various points across the heights. Reports indicate that the drones were launched from IRGC military bases in other cities.
The attacks caused considerable damage to orchards belonging to local residents, and parts of the surrounding land and vegetation were also affected. At the time of writing, no precise information is available on the extent of the damage or on possible casualties. IRGC forces remain deployed in the area, and their extensive presence has heightened the security climate around the villages concerned.
In recent years, the IRGC has repeatedly carried out artillery attacks on the mountainous and forested areas of Marivan and other border areas of Kurdistan, citing the alleged presence of forces from Kurdish opposition parties. On numerous occasions, these attacks have caused forest fires, destroyed vegetation, and damaged natural resources and residents’ farmland.
Under international humanitarian law, in situations of armed conflict, military forces are obliged to distinguish between military objectives and residential areas or civilian property, and to refrain from indiscriminate attacks and from operations that cause disproportionate harm to civilians and their property. The proximity of these strikes to villages, the damage to residents’ orchards, and the potential harm to the region’s forests and environment underscore the need for an independent review of the targets and methods of this operation, and for compliance with obligations to protect civilians and the environment.