Iraq protests to Tehran over Iranian incursion

AP: A senior Iraqi official says the government has complained to Tehran over what authorities say is an incursion by Iranian troops into Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

The Associated Press

HAJ OMRAN, Iraq (AP) — A senior Iraqi official says the government has complained to Tehran over what authorities say is an incursion by Iranian troops into Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

An Iraqi Kurdish official in the north, Karawan Aref, said Iranian troops entered Iraq’s northeast Haj Omran area through the Perdanuz border crossing.

They are believed to have crossed over on Thursday in pursuit of Iranian Kurdish rebels. Aref says the Iranians set up camp and started building a new border fort there.

Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abawi told The Associated Press on Monday that Baghdad sent the complaint. He says the Iranians are still on Iraqi territory.

An AP reporter in the area saw on Monday what appeared to be Iranian troops on the Iraqi side of the border.