Ahmed Faraj, a resident of Penjwen in Iraqi Kurdistan, recalls the devastation his hometown endured during the Iran-Iraq War and fears that the renewed conflict engulfing the Middle East could once again draw the city into violence. For months, Penjwen, situated near the Iran-Iraq border, has been overflown by drones and struck by missiles amid intensified clashes between Iran, Iraqi armed factions, and US forces stationed in the region.

The current hostilities have largely centered on attacks against US military bases and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups. These opposition fighters have long sought refuge in the mountainous terrain of Kurdistan, which has also become a focal point in an ongoing regional power struggle. Faraj, 57, expressed concern that if fighting escalates, Penjwen could suffer repeated destruction, noting that “in war, borders no longer exist.”

Faraj’s memories extend back to the early 1980s, when the Iran-Iraq conflict began after Iraq’s invasion of Iran in September 1980 under Saddam Hussein’s regime. He recalled a 1981 attack on Penjwen by Iranian forces that resulted in numerous civilian casualties. Following the assault, Iraqi forces reportedly demolished Penjwen’s remaining structures with explosives and bulldozers to prevent Iranian troops from establishing a foothold there.

The legacy of conflict in the region also includes the Anfal campaign carried out by Saddam’s government between 1987 and 1988, which is believed to have caused the deaths of approximately 180,000 Kurdish civilians. After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was captured, tried, and executed for crimes including genocide related to the Anfal operation.

Another Kurdistani native, former parliamentarian Abdul Rahman Ali Reda, also recounted witnessing the destruction of his family home in Penjwen during the Iran-Iraq War. Now 53, Reda described how entire neighborhoods—including homes, schools, government buildings, and religious sites—were razed. He noted that many damaged structures remain unrepaired decades later, underscoring the enduring toll of conflict on border communities.

Iraqi Kurdistan continues to host thousands of Iranian Kurds, including armed opposition groups that operate covertly within western Iran. The region’s inhabitants face ongoing uncertainty amid the broader regional conflict, with residents like Faraj and Reda emphasizing the need for vigilance in a landscape where historical wounds remain raw and renewed warfare threatens renewed destruction.