The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, or PJAK, operates in northern Iraqi Kurdistan and in areas along the border with Iran and Turkey. A statement on the group's Web site said it opposes Iranian influence on the Kurdish people.

The group is thought to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which is deemed a foreign terrorist entity by the United States and several other countries.

"Insurgents affiliated to foreigners had intruded into the Iranian territory overnight to destabilize the situation, but they suffered heavy losses in clashes with Iranian forces," Revolutionary Guard commander Majid Arjmandi said of the event.

Arjmandi said four gunmen thought to be PJAK fighters were injured during the operation in the city of Tabriz located in the eastern part of Azarbaijan province, the Iranian Press TV reported.

Media reports circulated recently suggesting U.S. officials courted both groups in support of their stance against Iran, though the allegations were denied emphatically by government spokesmen.

© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.