Iran closes its borders with Iraq, shells northern border areas

Baghdad - Iranian authorities closed off a northern border crossing with Iraq in both directions, a senior Iraqi official confirmed Saturday. 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. Baghdad - Iranian authorities closed off a northern border crossing with Iraq in both directions, a senior Iraqi official confirmed Saturday. 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.