Mine Explosion and Shooting at Afghan Refugees Near Saravan Border

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the killing and wounding of several Afghan refugees near the Saravan border in Iran, as published by various media outlets and social media accounts of Baloch activists. The human rights organization "Halosh" reported that due to gunfire from Iranian military forces on Sunday evening, October 22, over 200 Afghan nationals were killed, and among those attempting to enter Iran, only 60 to 70 survived. Radio Farda has been unable to independently verify these reports, and only some eyewitnesses have commented on them. Additionally, Moein Arjmand, a manager of the Baloch Activists Campaign based in Britain, told Radio Farda on Wednesday, October 25, that this incident occurred in the Kolgan region of Iranian Balochistan and resulted in the death of one Afghan citizen. According to him, the casualties were not solely due to gunfire; Afghan citizens were caught in "explosive traps" and "minefields," and after a mine explosion, Iranian border forces shot at them. He stated that sources from this campaign reported "one dead and dozens injured" due to these events. Radio Azadi, a section of Radio Free Europe, on Wednesday quoted a source at the Taliban embassy in Tehran confirming the shooting of Afghan migrants by Iranian forces, but stated that Iranian officials have "denied" this action. The Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan reacted to these reports on X (formerly Twitter), writing that the killing of "dozens of illegal nationals at the Saravan border is not true." Hassan Kazemi Qomi also stated that the "legal" handling of the illegal entry of "unauthorized nationals" is a legitimate right of countries, and border forces are obliged to prevent the entry of illegal nationals. The commander of the border police in Sistan and Baluchestan province also strongly denied the shooting of Afghan nationals by Iranian officers. Mawlawi Hanzalah, a Taliban official in the Pul-e Abreshim area of Nimroz province, also announced that this incident occurred in the Kolgan region of Iranian Balochistan, but the dead and injured from this incident have not yet been transferred to Afghanistan. In recent months, officials from the thirteenth government and the government of Masoud Pezeshkian have emphasized the return of "illegal nationals" from Afghanistan to their country. Ahmad Reza Radan, the commander of the Islamic Republic's police, announced in September of this year that by the end of the year 1403 (2024), "nearly two million" illegal foreign nationals will be expelled from Iran. Iskandar Momeni, the Minister of Interior, also stated that illegal migrants are "a priority for expulsions." Additionally, some reports indicate an increase in the detention of illegal Afghan citizens across Iran. Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces stated on October 2 that the mission to seal the border with Afghanistan has been assigned to this force and reported that "more than ten kilometers of wall have been constructed at the border, and another 50 kilometers are ready for wall construction."