Hundreds of Afghan civilians were allegedly killed by Iranian border forces last week as they tried entering the Shi’ite nation from Pakistan illegally, according to media reports. Taliban authorities are now looking into these claims......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy Taliban spokesperson in Kabul, said Wednesday (Oct 16) that “various governmental bodies” and Afghan diplomatic missions have initiated “comprehensive investigations” to verify the reports.
It was not immediately clear how many people died in the shooting but some media reports estimated the toll to be above 250. The Iran Human Rights Organization (Halvash) reported, citing two Afghan witnesses, that the incident happened Saturday night (Oct 12) in the border region of Kalgan Saravan.
The Afghan group comprised about 300 people, out of which only 60 survived, according to the group.
But Taliban have warned the information is yet to be verified.
“As the incident is reported to have occurred beyond Afghanistan’s borders, the available information remains unverified,” Fitrat noted in his English-language statement posted on social media platform X. He added that a “conclusive decision” would be made after a “thorough clarification of the facts.”
On the other hand, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special presidential envoy for and ambassador to Kabul, has vehemently rejected these reports.
“As of now, reliable sources confirm that the news about the deaths of dozens of illegal citizens at the Saravan border is not true,” he said.
However, he added that Iranian border forces were obliged to thwart attempts of entry by illegal nationals.
Responding “legally” to the “illegal entry of unauthorized nationals” was “the legitimate right of countries, and the border guards of any country are obliged to prevent the entry of illegal nationals,” he stressed.
Both Iran and Pakistan host millions of undocumented Afghan refugees. Both of them deported thousands of Afghans back to their homelands after Taliban seized power in Kabul three years back.
(With inputs from agencies)