Kurdish News Briefing: IRGC Drone Strikes, U.S. Exits Rojava & Kurdish President Elected in Iraq — April 22, 2026
- Rezan Babakir
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
April 22, 2026. For the Kurdish people, this week has brought both loss and consequence. Iranian drone attacks continue to target Kurdish opposition camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, killing Peshmerga fighters. In Syria, the U.S. has completed its final withdrawal from the last military bases it held in Rojava, leaving the Kurdish SDF to navigate an uncertain future under a new Syrian government backed by Turkey. And in Iraq, the election of a Kurdish politician as president has ended months of political deadlock, though deep divisions remain. This is your Kurdish news briefing for April 22, 2026.
Contents
IRGC Drone Strikes Kill Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been struck repeatedly by Iranian drones this month, in what Kurdish human rights monitors describe as a sustained campaign of targeted assassinations against opposition parties. On April 17, the Islamic Republic launched a drone strike on the PDKI’s civilian camp known as Jazhnikan, killing a man identified as Azarbarzin and critically injuring his father. In a simultaneous missile strike on a PDKI headquarters in the Sidkan area of Erbil, two female Peshmerga fighters — identified as Miri and Allah-Yari — were killed, with a further person wounded.
Earlier, on April 14, a drone struck Camp Sordash, a base belonging to the Komala party in the Sulaymaniyah province. Three people were wounded in that attack, one of them a woman who later succumbed to her injuries. She was identified as Ghazal Mawlan, originally from Mahabad in western Iran, a member of the Komala Toilers of Kurdistan. Her death marked the latest in a series of strikes against Iranian Kurdish exile groups that the Kurdistan Human Rights Network says have now killed at least nine members of multiple parties.
KDP leader Masoud Barzani has revealed that the Kurdistan Region absorbed five separate strikes on its own headquarters before deciding to stay silent, to avoid provoking public outrage. Air defenses around Erbil have been working continuously, intercepting multiple drones in recent weeks. The pattern of attacks reflects Iran’s ongoing attempt to suppress the Kurdish opposition parties it designates as terrorist organisations, many of which have been growing in political significance amid the instability of the Islamic Republic.
U.S. Completes Syria Withdrawal — Rojava Left to Face an Uncertain Future
The United States has now completed its withdrawal from all military bases it held in northeastern Syria, formally ending a decade-long military presence that was built in partnership with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The final withdrawal centred on the Qasrak Base in Hasakah — one of the largest U.S. installations in Syria — which was transferred to the 60th Division of the Syrian Army. Equipment was relocated across the border into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The withdrawal follows the January 29 ceasefire agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, under which Kurdish-led forces agreed to integrate into state structures in exchange for a degree of autonomy in areas such as Hasakah and Kobani. The agreement was brokered with U.S. and Iraqi Kurdish involvement, but many in Rojava feel the deal was a forced compromise that leaves their long-held aspirations deeply vulnerable.
The sense of betrayal runs deep on the ground. Kurdish civilians in Qamishli and other towns have long memories of the U.S. military’s presence — and its departure. More than 10,000 Kurdish fighters gave their lives fighting ISIS alongside U.S. forces. Now, as one local resident put it to NPR: “Is this our reward for defeating ISIS with U.S. forces?” The new Syrian government, backed by Turkey, is now integrating a region that once aspired to be a model of secular, multi-ethnic democracy in the Middle East.
Kurdish Politician Elected Iraqi President, Ending Political Deadlock
In a significant political development, Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi — nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) — has been elected President of Iraq, formally ending a months-long parliamentary deadlock. The election brings a degree of political resolution to Baghdad, though it has simultaneously exposed the depth of divisions within Iraq’s political landscape. The PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) continue to hold differing views on many critical issues, from oil revenues to relations with Iran and Turkey.
KDP political bureau head Fazel Mirani has spoken about the current moment, acknowledging the complexities facing the Kurdistan Region as it navigates pressure from all sides. The election of a Kurdish head of state in Baghdad carries symbolic weight, even as the substantive challenges facing Kurdish communities across Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey remain as formidable as ever.
The 2026 Kurdish–Iranian Crisis: A Summary
The wider context for all of these events is the ongoing 2026 Kurdish–Iranian crisis — a period of intensified political and armed activity by Kurdish groups operating both inside Iran and from bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Following the outbreak of war between the United States, Israel, and Iran in late February, Kurdish opposition parties began coordinating jointly under the newly formed Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK). On January 8, general strikes called by the coalition were observed in over 50 cities and towns in Kurdish-majority areas of Iran.
Iran has responded with sustained strikes against Kurdish exile camps in northern Iraq. Reports emerged that both the Mossad and the CIA had been exploring plans for a broader Kurdish military offensive inside Iran, though U.S. President Trump ultimately stated he did not want Kurdish fighters to enter the war, calling the conflict “complicated enough.” The Kurdish coalition denied receiving weapons intended for Iranian protesters, as Trump had claimed. The situation remains highly fluid, with the fate of millions of Kurds inside Iran closely tied to what happens in the coming months.
Key Events & Timeline
January 8 — General strikes observed in 50+ Kurdish cities across Iran following a call by the CPFIK coalition.
January 29 — SDF and Syrian government sign ceasefire and integration agreement, brokered with U.S. and KRI involvement.
February 27 — U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. IRGC begins intensified drone and missile campaign against Kurdish exile camps in Iraq.
Late February onwards — U.S. begins full withdrawal from all Syrian military bases, redeploying to northern Iraq.
April 14 — Iranian drone strikes Camp Sordash (Komala), killing Peshmerga fighter Ghazal Mawlan.
April 17 — IRGC drone and missile strikes kill three PDKI Peshmerga, including two women, in Erbil province.
April 20 — Syria formally announces it has taken control of all former U.S. military bases on its territory. Kurdish politician Nizar Amidi elected Iraqi President.
Q&A
Why is Iran targeting Kurdish camps in northern Iraq?
Iran designates several Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as terrorist organisations. Since the outbreak of war with the U.S. and Israel in February 2026, the IRGC has dramatically escalated strikes on these groups, whom it accuses of serving Western and Israeli interests and of carrying out operations inside Iran. At least nine Kurdish fighters have been killed in these attacks since late February.
What does the U.S. withdrawal from Syria mean for the Kurds?
The U.S. withdrawal removes the key security guarantor that had protected Syrian Kurdish autonomy in Rojava for a decade. The SDF has been compelled to integrate with a Syrian government backed by Turkey, which has long opposed Kurdish political and military autonomy. Many Kurdish civilians and fighters feel abandoned after sacrificing thousands of lives to defeat ISIS alongside U.S. forces.
Who is the new Iraqi President, and why does it matter for Kurds?
Nizar Amidi, a Kurdish politician nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, was elected as Iraq’s President after months of political deadlock. It is a symbolic milestone that a Kurd holds the presidency of Iraq at such a turbulent time for the region, though the role is largely ceremonial and the deeper challenges facing Kurdish communities across the Middle East remain unchanged.
References
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