An Iranian human rights organisation has accused the Iranian border police of killing or seriously injuring between 200 and 260 Afghan refugees at the Iran-Afghanistan territorial borderline.
This report issued by Halvah news agency states that the shooting occurred when about 300 Afghans attempted to cross the border into Iran, in the Sistan and Baluchestan province where border guards allegedly fired RPGs at the immigrants on the dates of October Monday 14-15 October 2024.
Claims and denials
Several witnesses, cited by Halvah, alleged that the border police opened fire on refugees, leading to many fatal casualties.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned these reports and urged the Afghan government to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances of this tragedy. Tolo News, an Afghanistan-based media outlet supports these claims, confirming that most of the migrants were attacked as soon as they crossed the Iranian border, irregularly.
In response, Iran has strongly dismissed any such claims as baseless or mere propaganda. Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi dismissed the reports as “not true” while referring to the media as “the frenzy of the lying media.”
He stated that border traffic control is a mutual commitment between neighbouring countries and said that Iran has the right to prevent illegal entries.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to return unauthorized refugees and to legally address their illegal entry at all border points; however, in this matter, it acts completely lawfully, responsibly, and based on the long-standing policy of good neighbourliness, Islamic compassion, and commitment to international treaties,” Qomi said as reported by TOLOnews.
International response
The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has also announced an investigation into reported human losses in the event.
Taliban officials have said that various governmental bodies are working to verify the claims and will clarify the matter once the investigations are completed. The situation remains tense as Iranian authorities have stepped up against Afghan migrants due to economic pressures caused by Western sanctions and ongoing conflict with Israel.
The US has announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran’s energy trade in light of the October 1 ballistic missile attack launched by the country against Israel, in retaliation for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s killing by the latter in Lebanon.
Thousands of Afghans fled their country in 2021 when the Taliban seized control following the exit of US-led Western forces from a war that spanned nearly two decades.
Iran and Pakistan have millions of Afghan migrants residing within their territory, however, the government of both countries has cracked down heavily to suppress refugees within their countries.
