TEHRAN: Iran said Wednesday two of its Revolutionary Guards and 21 rebels were killed in a clash between government forces and the PJAK rebel group.The website of Iran’s English language PressTV reported that two other Guards were injured in the fighting.

Earlier this month Iranian forces said they had seized control of a major base of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan group near the country’s border with Iraq. Iran has stepped up military action against the group, which is seeking greater autonomy for Kurdish areas in the country.

Local media Wednesday reported Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have killed more than 50 PJAK rebels since beginning the assault nearly two weeks ago and will continue the operation until Iraq takes control of the region.

“During the past weeks’ operations more than 50 anti-revolutionary elements were killed, around 100 wounded and a number were taken prisoner,” a top commander in northwestern Iran was quoted as saying.

“Our offensive against the American anti-revolutionaries of PJAK will continue along the Iranian border with Iraq in the north until the central government in Iraq and Kurdistan region … deploy police and military forces along the mutual border,” the unnamed commander added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday the fighting has displaced hundreds of villagers in the border regions of northern Iraq.

PJAK is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which took up arms in 1984 to fight for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey. Both Tehran and Washington have called PJAK a terrorist organization.

The autonomous regional government in Iraqi Kurdistan has demanded that Iran respect the border after a Guards commander said Iranian forces had taken “full control” of three PJAK camps inside Iraq.