Taliban terror leaders announced Thursday that they have opened an investigation into multiple reports that Iranian border guards opened fire on crowds of hundreds of Afghans who entered the country illegally.
The Iranian government denies that its guards carried out such mass killings, but in a statement on the situation it has warned of the massive influx of Afghan migrants to the border that began after the Taliban regained control of Iran. Iran has vowed to resolutely counter the large-scale influx. In 2021, a former government will be established with support from the United States.
Iran and the Taliban maintain formal diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, an unusual move for Kabul's rogue Islamic regime. However, this relationship is not without significant tensions over mutual borders, usually as a result of disputes over access to water. The Helmand River straddles the border between the two countries, and both sides often complain that the other is hoarding their limited water supplies.
The dramatic influx of illegal Afghan immigrants into Iran after the fall of the Kabul regime in 2021 also became an important topic. The Taliban is a repressive, fundamentalist terrorist organization that makes it illegal for women to show their faces or voices in public and harshly punishes men who don't adhere to strict beard standards. The return to power sent thousands of people scrambling to find a way out of the impoverished, war-torn country, and the exodus continues three years later.
report first surfaced On Wednesday, it was reported in Afghan media and Iranian human rights groups that Iranian border guards had identified a group of 200 to 300 Afghans in Sistan and Baluchestan provinces trying to flee Afghanistan. According to Iranian human rights group Harbush, border guards intercepted the group and opened fire on the men, women and children inside. graphic video Footage purporting to show the aftermath of the shooting began surfacing on social media and Afghan news outlets. Estimation As many as 200 civilians were killed in the incident.
Afghanistan's independent broadcasting station “Amu TV” claimed It has been confirmed that a “large group” of Afghans left western Afghanistan for Iran a week ago to search for the families of survivors of the massacre. The family shared photos of their relatives and said they had not been informed about their loved one's journey.
Several international organizations condemned the reported attack and called on the Iranian regime to show greater respect for refugee seekers. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which is struggling to operate under the Taliban regime, issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” by the reports of the massacre and demanded that the Iranian government clarify the situation.
Amnesty International issued a statement saying the report follows “two years of documented illegal use of force by Iran against Afghans seeking refuge following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.” he recalled.
Iran is one of the few countries in the world with a diplomatic representative in Kabul and will recognize the Taliban as the country's legitimate “interim” government in 2021. Iran's ambassador to Kabul, Hassan Kazemi Chomi, addressed reports of the killing on Wednesday. claimed that “The news that dozens of illegal immigrants have died at the Sarabang border is not true.” Nevertheless, Qomi stressed that Iran will respond firmly to the “illegal entry of unauthorized nationals” as well as the “legitimate rights of each country.”
Although the Taliban has not yet accused Iran, several senior terrorists within the organization have confirmed that they are organizing some kind of investigation into the incident. Taliban's Bakhtar News Agency reported Chief Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced on Thursday that “an investigation is currently underway into reports of casualties of Afghan nationals on the Iran-Pakistan border.”
“President Mujahid acknowledged that comprehensive information has not yet been submitted, given that the incident took place outside Afghanistan,” Bakhtar added, adding that several leaders within the Taliban terrorist organization He said he was involved in the investigation into the allegations.
toro news quotation Another Taliban terrorist, deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, said the office of “Prime Minister” Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akoun was overseeing information gathering for the investigation.
“They will conduct an investigation and share the findings with the Prime Minister's Office for further instructions,” Fitrat was quoted as saying. “The committee continues to work on this issue yesterday, last night, and today and is working to share preliminary information with the public as soon as possible.”
Taliban leaders announced Wednesday that they had brokered an agreement with Tehran to send a delegation to Iran to discuss stemming the flow of illegal immigrants into the country. Although the Iranian government is reluctant to accept foreigners, the Taliban also says it is trying to prevent Afghans from leaving the country, especially those with specialized skills or wealth that could help enrich the Taliban's economy. repeatedly asserted.
“Acting Refugee and Repatriation Minister Khalil Rahman Haqqani said the Islamic Emirate aims to repatriate Afghan migrants from Iran to Afghanistan, but the process requires a coordinated joint plan. “Toro News reported on wednesday. A refugee ministry spokesperson added that the Taliban expressed “gratitude” to Iran for “hosting Afghan migrants for 40 years” and called for their “repatriation.”
Toro pointed out that Iran's representative in Kabul, Komi, also dismissed reports at the time that Iran was mistreating Afghan migrants as “propaganda.”
Indeed, international news organizations have long documented abuses by Iranian border police and other authorities against Afghan nationals, including those legally in the country. Amnesty International is one such organization. document assaults, shootings, and other abuses on the border with Afghanistan; In September, Agence France-Presse (AFP) interviewed Afghans who said they had suffered brutal abuse while traveling to Iran.
“I saw Afghans die, and they shouted at him, 'You son of a bitch, go home!'” the woman who identified Fariza Qaderi told the news agency, describing her experience in a migrant camp near Tehran. spoke.
AFP noted that Iran is repatriating up to 3,000 Afghans a day.
