TEHRAN – Iraq has begun relocating anti-Iran terrorist groups from its Kurdish region along the Iranian border to camps located deeper within its territory, in accordance with a security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran.

This move is part of ongoing efforts to ensure greater security in the region and curb terrorist activities near the shared border.

The Komala terrorist group, a well-known separatist organization, issued a statement confirming that it had vacated its bases in the Zargwez area and relocated its forces to the Swaresh district, near the city of Dukan, approximately 40 kilometers north of their previous location. 

This action aligns with the security pact that Iraq and Iran concluded two years ago, which mandates that all terrorist and separatist groups near Iran’s borders be disarmed and relocated away from the frontier.

In recent weeks, the Iraqi authorities have intensified efforts to fulfill the terms of this agreement, particularly ahead of an upcoming visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad. 

To demonstrate goodwill and progress, Iraqi officials forced other groups, including Komala, to move their forces to new camps. Several other factions, such as the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, had already evacuated their bases in line with the agreement.

The security pact was established following a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes on terrorist bases in northern Iraq nearly two years ago. These strikes were in response to provocations by anti-Iranian groups during the 2022 foreign-backed riots, which Tehran accused of fomenting unrest in the region.

President Pezeshkian, who is set to visit Iraq on Wednesday, will embark on his first official foreign trip since taking office in late July. His administration has made it clear that strengthening ties with neighboring countries is a top priority. 

In a recent meeting with Iraq’s prime minister, the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stressed the importance of fully implementing the bilateral agreements that have been signed between the two nations in recent years.

Over the past two decades, Iran and Iraq have been working to enhance their diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation.