Iran closes its borders with Iraq, shells northern border areas

Iranian authorities closed off a northern border
crossing with Iraq in both directions, a senior Iraqi official
confirmed Saturday, according to dpa.
According to Gharib Ali, district commissioner of Sulaymanyah, 200
to 300 cargo vehicles cross daily between the two countries through
Bashmakh, but the Iranian authorities closed the crossing "without
giving any reasons."
Bashmakh lies to the west of Sulaymanyah, 350 kilometres north of
Baghdad.
The incident coincided with reports of heavy shelling of the
northern border areas between Iran and Iraq near Arbil province in
the autonomous Kurdish region.
Reportedly, Iranian artillery started bombarding the area known as
Hajj Omran around noon on Saturday.
The shelling was believed to have targeted anti-Iranian elements
belonging to a separatist militant group associated with Kurdistan's
PKK party.