Six Afghan migrants were killed and five others injured after gunfire at the Iranian border in Sistan-Baluchestan province, rights group Haalvsh reported.
The incident occurred on September 8 in Golshan district, near the Iranian border, where around 120 Afghan nationals attempted to cross. The group included women, children, and elderly people. According to Haalvsh, Iranian forces opened fire without warning, using both light and heavy weapons, including a DShK machine gun.
Five of the dead were left at the site, while one wounded migrant later lost a leg. Three others remain in critical condition after being admitted to a hospital in Saravan. Reports also said that around 40 migrants were detained by border forces during the operation.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) condemned the attack. It described the direct targeting of unarmed civilians at the Iranian border as a violation of international law. The organization also highlighted the lack of timely medical aid and mass arrests as further abuses.
Haalvsh said this is not the first such incident. In October 2024, Iranian border guards opened fire on Afghan migrants, resulting in multiple deaths, injuries, and disappearances.
According to HRANA’s annual monitoring, Iranian security forces shot 484 civilians in 2024. Of these, 163 were killed and 321 injured.
The repeated violence along the Iranian border has raised concerns over the treatment of Afghan migrants fleeing instability. Rights groups continue to demand accountability and international oversight to ensure that humanitarian laws are respected.
In other related news also read Courthouse attacked Iran Baluchistan
