Qandil Mountains

The Qandil Mountains (Kurdish: چیایێن قەندیلێ Çiyayên Qendîlê, Arabic: جبل قنديل), are a mountainous area of Kurdistan near the Iran-Iraq border. The region belongs to the Zagros mountain range and is difficult to access, with extremely rugged terrain. The highest peaks reach over 3,000m.

Qandil Mountains
قەندیل (Çiyakanî Qendîl)
Highest point
Elevation	3,587 metres (11,768 ft)
Coordinates	36°32′28″N 44°59′46″E
Dimensions
Area	50 square kilometres (19 sq mi)
Naming
Native name	چیایێن قەندیلێ (Çiyayên Qendîlê) (Kurdish)
Geography
Qandil Mountains Arbil, Iraq (near the Iran–Iraq border)
Country	Iraq
Region	Kurdistan Region
Parent range	Zagros
Borders on	Iran
Geology
Orogeny	Zagros fold and thrust belt

The area is notable as a sanctuary and headquarters for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Approximately 5,000 PKK and other armed Kurdish factions control an area of roughly 50 km², which has been sporadically bombarded by the Turkish Air Force and shelled by Iranian military artillery for several years. The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) is also based in the Qandil Mountains, which allows them to infiltrate into Iran.^[1] In 1967, the PDKI attacked Pahlavi Regime to try and regain separatism in Iran but in 1968 they lost the revolt which resulted in them fleeing down to Qandil Mountains,^[2] they fled underground and until 1979 and Qandil Mountains was the PDKI Headquarters from 1968-1993 and Qandil Mountains was an important part of the PDKI where the Iranian regime attacked several military camps during the 1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran and the KDPI insurgency (1989–1996).

See also

• Kuhe Haji Ebrahim (highest peak)