A KDPI statement said that a member of the Party's central committee, Musa Babakhani, was killed by "terrorists of the Islamic Republic of Iran" in the city of Erbil.

The statement added, "Babakhani was kidnapped last Thursday by terrorists affiliated with the Islamic Republic, and today, Saturday, his body was found, bearing signs of severe torture, in a hotel in the city of Erbil."

"Born in 1981, Babakhani is a resident of Kermanshah, and joined the Democratic Party in 1999."

For its part, the Directorate of Asayish Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, announced on Saturday that it had launched an investigation into the assassination of the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, which opposes Tehran.

The Directorate said in a statement that the results will be announced when the investigation is completed.