A border clash between Iranian troops and the Taliban in Afghanistan on Sunday killed one Taliban soldier and injured another. The incident occurred 30 kilometres northeast of Zabol.
While the Taliban has not released any formal statement on the issue, according to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) border commander in Nimroz, the Iranian forces started the fight.
Meanwhile, Iranian state-run news agency IRNA reported that the Taliban’s soldiers began the skirmish by crossing the border in Hirmand and attempting to hoist their flag. They were also accused of opening fire at Iranian troops at around 1.30 PM.
The clash lasted for about an hour, after which the Iranian border guards took control of the situation.
#Iran's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi: After today's conflict in #Hirmand, a meeting was held between representatives of Iran and #Taliban Ministry of Defense. Two sides agreed to form a joint committee in order to avoid such actions. https://t.co/MHZOR3OhKs pic.twitter.com/dNRRzaZthO
— SAMRI (@SAMRIReports) July 31, 2022
Speaking of several such incidents over the past few days, Interior Minister for Security Affairs Seyyed Majid Mir-Ahmadi said, “The Iranian border guards alertly and with high-level management at the scene, prevented the escalation of the tension, and put an end to the dispute.”
He argued that the Taliban’s soldiers must be informed about the territorial borders between Iran and Afghanistan so that the two bordering nations can avoid such incidents.
Similarly, Fars News Agency quoted the governor of Hirman County, Meysam Barazandeh, as saying that the troops “showed the necessary response to the border violation by the Taliban, and they responded in return.”
Sources say the confusion arose from the Taliban’s misconception that the wall between Iran and Afghanistan is the border. However, the wall was in fact constructed to restrict smuggling operations does not demarcate the territorial border.
Trade of opium in Farah province of Afghanistan neighbouring Iran. pic.twitter.com/4THwixFKZh
— Tajuden Soroush (@TajudenSoroush) July 21, 2022
Despite Iran’s efforts to reiterate this to the Taliban, such incidents have become increasingly common since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
The first such incident occurred in December after the Taliban took control of several Iranian checkpoints. However, the Taliban soon withdrew and both countries played it down as a “misunderstanding.”
Likewise, an Iranian border security guard was fatally shot in a clash last month, following which the Iranian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazzemi Qomi, underscored, “No insecurity on our borders is tolerable.”
Reports that at least 1 Taliban fighter was killed in clashes between Iran's 🇮🇷 border guards & Afghanistan's 🇦🇫 Taliban in the Hirmand border region https://t.co/oCy3JDhUc1 pic.twitter.com/rVOUgDaNCj
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) July 31, 2022
Iran has not formally recognised the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan, saying the group must first form an “inclusive government” with representation from ethnic minorities.
The two countries have also been at loggerheads over the Helmand river dispute. While the Taliban has recognised Iran’s rights to the river, it has not granted it access yet.
Nevertheless, the Taliban has engaged with Iran on several occasions and even signed a contract to purchase 350,000 tonnes of oil last month. The agreement covers several aspects of oil trade, including qualities, rates, and transit and seeks to address rising fuel prices in Afghanistan, which is a combined result of the COVID-19 pandemic, international sanctions, and the disruption to supply chains caused by the Ukraine war.