Kurdish group suspends Iranian attacks

TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The militant Party of Free Life of Kurdistan said it has turned its guns on the Turkish military, suspending operations against Iran, Iranian media reported.

The group, known as PJAK, is allied with a number of Kurdish separatist organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, seeking an autonomous state in the region.

The Iranian Press TV said Monday the group had issued a statement to Kurdish media outlets saying it halted its campaign in the Kurdish regions of Iran.

Press TV suggested the coming winter may have been a factor in the decision, as operations in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq and western Iran make guerrilla activity difficult during the winter months.

In September, PJAK called on the international community to stand in solidarity with the group in protest of alleged human rights abuses perpetrated against its prisoners in Iran. PJAK in October killed three Iranian fighters in the northwest province of Zanjan.

The group on Oct. 9 called for an end to a 45-day hunger strike in response to prisoner abuse, saying Iran had relaxed its positions on the prisoners through indirect negotiations.