Clashes Between Dezful and Andimeshk Leave Several Injured

Officials and domestic media in Iran report that clashes in the border area between the cities of Dezful and Andimeshk have left several injured. Images and videos have also been circulated on social media, purportedly showing the site of the clashes. The state news agency IRNA stated that these clashes were due to a 'dispute over the location of the entrance sign for the city of Dezful on the Andimeshk road' and occurred 'between the people of the two cities.' An IRNA reporter noted hearing gunfire at the scene. According to the news agency, damages were also inflicted on Jundishapur University during the clashes on Wednesday night, resulting in several injuries. Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, mentioned that 'some citizens of Dezful and Andimeshk clashed to determine the border area between the two cities.' The dispute between residents of Andimeshk and Dezful regarding the border limits of these two counties began in May of last year when the entrance sign for Dezful was blown down by a storm and escalated into clashes among some citizens in February. On February 30 of this year, the Dezful municipality attempted to reinstall the sign, which was removed by protesters from Andimeshk. Following the recent clashes, the security council in both cities convened, and the governor of Khuzestan traveled to the area. Reports also emerged of special forces being deployed and tear gas being used to disperse protesters. Radio Farda is unable to independently confirm or deny reports published in Iranian media. Concurrently, images have been shared on social media purportedly showing the site of the clashes. In one of these videos, a fire is seen in the darkness of night, and an individual is heard saying, 'They are waiting for their sign to be brought.' In another video, a half-burned sign is visible, displaying images of Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khamenei, and military figures. Another video shows a group of people throwing stones while it appears that tear gas is being fired from the opposite direction. One of the images shared in Iran and videos on social media show a vehicle that has overturned. Radio Farda is not able to independently verify the content of the images shared. According to IRNA, Mansour Mohammadi Khabbaz, the public and revolutionary prosecutor of Dezful, also appeared among citizens and defended the installation of the sign in favor of Dezful, stating that 'Dezful officials did not spare any effort to meet the demands of the people during discussions with the governor regarding the installation of the sign.' Meanwhile, the acting governor of Dezful has adopted the same approach and stated on Wednesday night to those who went to the governor's office to demand the installation of the sign, 'Installing the sign is our common goal.' A report on clashes over the borders of Dezful and Andimeshk was also published in late February. At that time, it was reported that clashes occurred following the installation of the entrance sign for Dezful at a disputed point between the city and Andimeshk, with protesters claiming that this area belonged to Andimeshk County. In that instance, Mohammad Ali Ghazi Dezfuli, the Friday prayer leader of Dezful, condemned the destruction of a sign that displayed images of those killed in the Syrian war. The IRNA news agency reported that the dispute over the location of the entrance sign for the city of Dezful began in May 2018. Hossein Eidi, the police chief of Dezful, told the Fars news agency that 'two people have been injured in Dezful,' but he was 'unaware of the number of injuries in Andimeshk.' The governor of Khuzestan stated that 'several individuals from both sides were injured.' IRNA reports that the situation in the cities of Andimeshk and Dezful calmed down on Thursday morning after several hours of tension and clashes.