According to reports received by AvaToday, from the evening of Thursday, 8 January 2026, until Saturday, widespread protests took place in the city of Ilam, one of the cities of Iranian Kurdistan.
During these protests, military forces of the Islamic Republic reportedly opened direct fire on civilians, resulting in the killing of more than 150 Kurdish citizens and the injury of dozens of others.
This wave of protests reached its peak following the widespread and nationwide general strike by Kurds, which was fully carried out across seven provinces of Iranian Kurdistan on Thursday, 8 January 2026.
According to eyewitness accounts, snipers deliberately targeted protesters’ heads, while other military–terrorist forces of Iran fired indiscriminately at the protesting crowds with automatic weapons.
Reports further indicate that, simultaneously with the killing of protesters, Iran’s military–terrorist forces set fire to shops and stores in order to later attribute the destruction to protesters through state-controlled media.
According to these reports, power outages have increased, and telephone services—both mobile and landline—are cut for most hours of the day. In addition, internet access has been completely disrupted.
Three days after this mass killing of Kurdish citizens by Iranian military forces, Ilam’s main bazaar remains completely closed, with only a few small grocery shops open.
It has also been reported that, by order of government authorities, most pharmacies have been shut down. Those that remain open are only dispensing limited medication after registering and recording citizens’ identification documents.
Eyewitnesses have stated that signs of arson and fire damage are visible in many parts of the city. Meanwhile, the government has claimed that 30 of its military–terrorist forces were killed during the events.
