The Hasht-e Subh Daily has investigated claims about the deaths of over 200 Afghan refugees at the Iran border, allegedly caused by the country’s border guards in the past 14 days. The findings indicate a significant incident occurred in the Kalagan area of Saravan, Sistan, and Baluchestan Province, where refugees attempted to enter Iran. However, the remote and inaccessible nature of the desert and border region has made it difficult to determine the exact number of fatalities and injuries. The report reveals that some of the wounded and those who escaped have been captured by Pakistani military forces, with most currently held hostage. Yesterday, the Taliban transferred six injured individuals from this incident to a provincial hospital in Nimruz Province.
Sources have confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that several groups of refugees trying to cross into Iran via smuggling routes were killed due to a landmine explosion and gunfire from Iranian border guards. Additionally, eyewitnesses and injured survivors have reported that after fleeing toward Pakistan, they were taken hostage by the Pakistani military.
In the latest development, the Taliban transferred six injured individuals from this incident to a provincial hospital in Nimruz yesterday. Eyewitnesses and injured survivors who spoke with the Hasht-e Subh Daily claimed that 252 refugees had died, with dozens more currently missing.
Previously, the Iranian humanitarian organization Haalvsh reported that around 200 Afghan refugees intending to enter Iran were killed due to a landmine explosion and gunfire from Iranian border guards. Although the Hasht-e Subh Daily cannot independently verify the number of fatalities, its sources confirm that an incident did occur, yet the precise number of deceased and injured remains uncertain. It is suspected that Iranian border guards may have buried the dead.
Earlier, Haalvsh reported that on Sunday, October 13, an explosion occurred in the Kalagan area of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, near the Pakistan border, resulting in over 200 deaths and injuries. According to this organization, all individuals involved were Afghan citizens seeking to enter Iran, with only 60 to 70 managing to survive.
Following this incident, other reports citing Haalvsh indicated that the death toll had risen to 250. The event has become shrouded in ambiguity due to the denial from Iranian officials, leading many to believe it did not occur; however, eyewitnesses and the injured confirm they were wounded by an explosion and gunfire from Iranian border guards at the Pakistan border and subsequently fell into the hands of Pakistani military forces.
Nonetheless, video footage of injured migrants from the explosion and gunfire of Iranian border guards that reached the Hasht-e Subh Daily shows that several of their companions have been killed, injured, or remain missing. In these clips, eyewitnesses claim smugglers divided them into several groups of 50, intending to enter Iran, and they were targeted by the explosion and gunfire from Iranian border guards.
One injured individual from this incident states, “We were a group of 50, separate from another group of 300. Two of us were killed, and several others are missing.” Another eyewitness mentions, “We were 300 people, and our guide divided us into groups of 50. When we arrived, the shooting occurred. Twelve people from our group were injured; there’s no news of the other 50.”
However, one injured individual tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily that they were initially targeted by a planted landmine, and after the explosion, Iranian border guards opened fire on them. According to him, at least 250 people were killed in this explosion, with others fleeing from the scene.
This eyewitness, who prefers to remain anonymous in the report, states, “First, there was an explosion near the barbed wire on the border, and many of our friends were killed in the blast. After the explosion, the Iranian soldiers started shooting.” He adds, “Out of this large group, 252 people were killed, many were injured, and a few fled with the smuggler toward Pakistan.”
One injured individual who made it to Pakistan reports that he was detained by “Pakistani militias” and subsequently handed over to the police. He states that the police took the injured individuals hostage, releasing only those who could pay, while many others from this incident remain captive.
This injured eyewitness adds, “After the explosion and gunfire, we fled toward Pakistan and were captured by the Pakistani militias, who handed us over to the police after a few days. During those days, we were just held; they talked only about money, saying they wouldn’t release us until we paid. Those who had money paid 800,000 Pakistani rupees and were released, but many others are still captive.”
Meanwhile, the Taliban transferred six injured individuals from this incident to the provincial hospital in Nimruz yesterday. Reliable sources informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the condition of the two injured is critical.
Previously, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special envoy for Afghanistan and ambassador in Kabul, stated that reports of the deaths of dozens of Afghan citizens are inaccurate. He wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “As a result of direct inquiries through reliable sources, it has become clear that reports concerning the deaths of dozens of illegal Afghan nationals at the Saravan border are untrue.”
This Iranian official added, “The legal response to the illegal entry of unauthorized individuals is a legitimate right of countries, and the border forces of any country are obliged to prevent the entry of illegal foreigners.”
Additionally, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, announced that the group is investigating this incident. Following this event, the Taliban appointed a fact-finding commission and stated that details of the incident would be released soon. However, after 14 days, no details have yet emerged.
This incident has drawn strong condemnation from the international community and various domestic and international human rights organizations, all calling for an investigation by a neutral and independent international body. Some of the injured from the incident have described the event as traumatic, likening it to the “Day of Judgment.” They say that no one could hear another’s voice there, and still, no one knows the fate of others.
It is worth mentioning that some Afghan citizens who support the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran have dismissed this incident as false, questioning why the bodies of the deceased have not been returned to their families and where the injured from this incident have been treated without any outcry.
However, some sources have confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the Taliban are aware of the incident’s details and, due to political considerations and close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, have refrained from publicizing these details. They likely agreed to bury the deceased in a desert area far from public access.
Previously, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the shooting of Afghan migrants at the Iran border. On Thursday, October 17, UNAMA expressed deep concern about reports regarding the mass shooting of Afghan migrants by Iranian border guards in the Kalagan area at the Iran-Pakistan border. UNAMA emphasized that the rights of migrants and refugees must be respected according to international law.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
تلاشها برای لاپوشانی حادثه تیرباران شدن پناهجوها در مرز ایران؛ زخمیان و شاهدان حادثه کجا هستند؟
