Herat, Afghanistan – Anger and grief gripped the Afghan province of Herat following the arrival of the bodies of nine young Afghan men killed by Iranian border guards. Families of the victims held a symbolic protest with the bodies of their loved ones in front of the Department of Information and Culture building to condemn what they described as a “crime and mutilation of corpses.”
Details of the tragic incident
The incident dates back to about 20 days ago. A group of young men attempted to cross the border illegally at “Mile 78” in Farah province towards Iran.
According to testimonies from local residents and Afghan officials, Iranian border forces fired directly at 11 young men.
Nine of them have been confirmed dead (all residents of Herat, Shindand, and Zarkoh districts). The fate of two others remains unknown, according to Afghan media.
The bodies remained lying in the border area for 15 to 20 days. Their removal was not permitted, leading to their decomposition and desecration.
The residents cried out: “We want justice!”
During the protest, the victims’ families demanded that the Taliban government intervene urgently and investigate the killing of our village’s sons.”
Official response from Kabul
For its part, the Afghan Ministry of Interior confirmed that it is following the case very seriously.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Ghani stated that the bodies had been recovered and handed over to the families through official efforts. An official delegation will also be sent to Iran soon to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Qani stressed the government’s commitment to a full investigation into the incident to ensure the rights of the victims.
This incident marks the second deadly attack involving Iranian border forces in the past year. It raises questions about the mechanisms for dealing with irregular migrants at the shared border.
