KABUL, Afghanistan — Recent reports indicate that explosions and gunfire in Iran resulted in the death of at least two Afghan nationals earlier this month, as stated by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Iranian officials, however, have refuted these claims, asserting that there was no shooting incident near Saravan, a town located in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, which shares a border with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
A senior Taliban committee has been conducting an inquiry into the matter for several weeks. Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat revealed that their investigation uncovered that the blasts and gunfire were aimed at Afghans situated in the Kalgan Valley, which lies within Iranian territory. The spokesman did not provide any details regarding those responsible for the attack.
“At this time, the remains of two deceased individuals and 34 eyewitnesses, some of whom sustained injuries, have been retrieved by the committee,” Fitrat announced. “Some other injured individuals remain in Iran and Pakistan, and the committee is diligently working to find and repatriate them to Afghanistan.”
The Taliban’s casualty figures are significantly lower than those reported by HalVash, a rights group advocating for the Baluch people and focusing largely on issues in Iran. They reported, citing anonymous sources, that the death toll could be in the dozens, with many more people injured.
HalVash claimed that the Iranian security forces employed firearms and rocket-propelled grenades during the assault.
Afghans have lived in Iran for several decades, fleeing various conflicts since the Soviet invasion in 1979, through the Taliban’s initial rule, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 as Western forces withdrew.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, around 3.8 million displaced persons reside in Iran, with the majority being Afghans, although some estimates suggest the actual number may be even higher.
In recent months, anti-immigrant sentiment towards Afghans has surged in Iran, coinciding with the country facing economic challenges largely due to Western sanctions. The police chief of Iran announced that approximately 2 million migrants could face deportation in the upcoming six months.
Fitrat expressed uncertainty regarding the conditions across the border, indicating that the Taliban lacked access to the Kalgan Valley region. He also noted that it remained unclear if any individuals still there were deceased or injured.