The bodies of several Afghans who were shot by Iranian border forces have been transferred to Herat and handed over to their families.
In protest of the incident, the families of the victims placed the bodies of their loved ones in front of the Department of Information and Culture in Herat. They said these young men were shot about twenty days ago by Iranian border guards while attempting to cross the border illegally, and their bodies had remained at the site since then.
The nine victims were residents of the Shindand and Zir Koh districts of Herat province.
Ahmad Shah Abdali, a relative of the victims, said: “Our demand from the Taliban is to address our concerns. All nine individuals who were martyred are from the same village.”
The Ministry of Interior has announced that a delegation from the Taliban will soon be sent to Iran to investigate the incident. The ministry spokesperson assured that the matter would be thoroughly and comprehensively reviewed.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said: “With the efforts of the Taliban, the bodies of the martyrs were returned to the country and handed over to their families. Taliban is fully committed to sending a delegation to investigate this case. Some evidence exists, and the delegation will thoroughly examine the matter.”
According to government officials, eleven young men who attempted to cross into Iran illegally through the Mil 78 border point in Farah province were shot by Iranian border forces.
Two of the victims were from Farah province, and according to local officials, the fate of two others remains unknown.
This is the second deadly attack by Iranian border guards on Afghan migrants in the past year. Last year, hundreds of Afghan migrants who had entered Iran illegally through Nimroz and border crossings with Pakistan were also targeted by Iranian military forces in mass shootings.
