In this photo taken on February 18, 2022, a Taliban flag (L) and an Iranian flag fly at the zero point of the Afghanistan-Iran border crossing bridge in Zaranj. On May 27, 2023, the Taliban and Iran fought fiercely near the border.
Deputy Cossar | AFP | Getty Images
The Taliban and Iran exchanged fire on the Islamic Republic’s border with Afghanistan on Saturday, killing troops as tensions between the two countries escalated sharply over a dispute over water rights.
The country’s deputy police chief, General Qassem Rezai, was quoted by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency as saying the Taliban accused the Taliban of firing Saturday morning on the border between Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan provinces and Afghanistan’s Nimruz province. The Islamic Republic News Agency said Iran had caused “heavy casualties and severe damage”.
In the eyes of the Taliban, Abdul Nafi Thakor, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, accused Iran of firing first. Two people were killed in the exchange of fire, one from each country, and others were wounded, Thaker said. He described the situation as now under control.
IRNA, citing Iranian police, said two border guards were killed. However, this number could be higher. The Tehran Times, a semi-official English-language newspaper, said the fighting left three Iranian border guards dead. IRNA said the main trade route with Afghanistan, the Milak crossing, was closed until further notice due to the gunfight.