Clashes Reported Between Iranian, Taliban Forces At Border

According to reports, the skirmish is still ongoing in the Shaghalak village in Doust Mohammad Rural District in central Hirmand in Sistan and Baluchestan province. It is not clear what prompted the incident.

Confirming the reports, Meysam Barazandeh, the governor of the border town said that there is no immediate estimate of the number of casualties. 

Unconfirmed reports in social media say at least 10 people were killed during the firefight. Some social media users say most of the casualties are members of the Baluchi ethnicity, a minority people living in Iran’s south-east bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Late in June, at least one Iranian soldier was killed during clashes in the same area. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Naser Kanaani identified the victim as Mohammad Sayyad, saying that he died in line of duty by unknown gunmen at the Milak border crossing and urged the Taliban to punish those behind the incident.

In April, the border crossing Dogharoon was temporarily shut down following a “dispute” between Iranian and Afghan border guards.

There have been some incidents at the border since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last year. An Iranian foreign ministry official in January said that the reason for clashes between Iranian forces and the Taliban was lack of professional conduct by the latter.