Bombardment of the Protected Areas in Shaho Mountain by Islamic fascismes Revolutionary Guards Corps

Bombardment of the Protected Areas in Shaho Mountain by Islamic  fascismes Revolutionary Guards Corps

Although the manoeuvre of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) known as Muharram 2 in Shaho mountain areas of Kamyaran has finished about 45 days ago, the IRGC troops have continued bombarding a large area of Shaho mountain between Ravansar and Kamyaran. Moreover, IRGC road construction operations in Shaho have put the protected areas in serious danger.

An environmental activist has told Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) that “over the past few days, IRGC have bombarded the Shaho mountain and the heights of Ravansar once again.”

The Protected areas of Shaho and Kosalan with an area of 57,236 hectares are located between the cities of Sarababad, Ravansar, Paveh, Marivan and Kamyaran along the border of Iraqi Kurdistan. Shaho and Kosalan were registered as protected areas under the management of the Environmental Protection Agency per enactment No. 303 issued by the Environmental Protection Council (State Commission for Infrastructure).

“IRGC has announced that no one had the right to travel to this mountainous region until further notice. Despite the announcement that the manoeuvre of IRGC known as Muharram 2 has finished on Oct 7, 2018, the IRGC troops present at the area are building new bases in the Protected Area of Shaho that has caused massive destruction in this area.”, this environmental activist added.

According to the environmental activist, due to pressure from IRGC, Sanandaj Environmental Authorities and the Office of Sanandaj Natural Resources Administration have denied any destruction and fire in the Shaho area.

Since 2008, the IRGC has destroyed a large part of these protected areas by building military bases in the highlands of Shaho and Kosalan mountains in addition to carrying out massive military operations on the pretext of fighting the forces of Kurdish parties.