Kurdistan Freedom Party; 9 Peshmerga Wounded in Islamic Republic's Drone Strike Using "White Phosphorus"
July 19, 2026 – The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) issued a statement announcing that early this morning, Sunday, July 19, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out a drone strike on one of the party's bases using munitions containing "white phosphorus," leaving nine Peshmerga fighters wounded.
In its statement, the party declared: "Observations and medical examinations of the nine wounded Peshmerga fighters from this attack, alongside the widespread fires erupted in the targeted area, demonstrate that the munitions utilized in this drone strike contained white phosphorus."
Highlighting the burning and devastating effects of white phosphorus on humans and the environment, the Kurdistan Freedom Party urged the United Nations Secretary-General, the Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and all responsible international bodies to take the necessary legal actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"Honar Ahmad," a Kurdish documentary filmmaker and journalist from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, published images of two wounded Peshmerga fighters from the attack, writing: "I visited these Peshmerga fighters who, according to the Kurdistan Freedom Party, were targeted in a drone strike involving white phosphorus."
The Kurdpa Human Rights Organization emphasizes that it is currently unable to independently verify the claim regarding the use of white phosphorus munitions in this attack. However, given the severe humanitarian and legal implications of such an allegation, it calls for an independent, impartial, and international investigation, precise documentation of evidence, medical examination of the wounded, and an analysis of the remnants of the deployed munitions. Under international humanitarian law, the use of incendiary weapons—including white phosphorus munitions—against individuals or within civilian areas, if proven, constitutes a serious violation of international rules and necessitates effective accountability and investigation.
White phosphorus is a chemical, incendiary substance that ignites instantly upon contact with oxygen, generating extremely high temperatures. While used to create smokescreens, illumination, or in certain military munitions, it causes deep burns, severe tissue damage, and even death if it comes into contact with the human body. Under international humanitarian law, the use of white phosphorus munitions against civilians or in densely populated areas is strictly prohibited, and its deployment must adhere to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution; otherwise, it can amount to a grave violation of the laws of war and potentially a war crime.
