According to reports received by Hana Human Rights Organization: On Friday, April 17, 2026, following drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the Balisan and Jazhnikan areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, three Peshmergas were killed and several others were injured.
Based on received reports, two female Peshmergas named Samira Allahyari and Neda Miri lost their lives in the attack on the Balisan region. Additionally, in another attack on the party’s headquarters in the Jazhnikan area of Erbil, a Peshmerga named Shahin Azarbarzin was killed. Reports also indicate that several other Peshmergas were injured during these strikes.
These attacks were carried out using suicide drones. The use of such weapons in these types of assaults—especially under conditions where there is a risk of harm to non-combatants or local residents—constitutes a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. To date, the international community has not given serious attention to the employment of these weapons in Kurdistan, despite the fact that the use of these drones by the Russian army (purchased from Iran) in the Ukraine war has consistently drawn condemnation from the global community.