TEHRAN – Iran’s border police and Taliban militants exchanged fire at a border region in the east on Sunday, Tasnim news agency reported.
Armed clashes broke out in the Hirmand border region, near the Iranian city of Doost Muhammad, which is located 30 km northeast of Zabol in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
The exchange of fire between the two sides flared up for minutes after Taliban forces fired at residential houses on the eastern outskirts of Doost Muhammad.
Afghan sources said a Taliban fighter was killed and another wounded in the clashes.
According to Tasnim, the skirmishes started after a number of Taliban forces tried to hoist their flag on the Iranian soil.
Last month, at least one Iranian soldier was martyred during clashes in the same area. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanaani identified the martyr as Muhammad Sayyad, saying that he lost his life in line of duty in attack by unknown gunmen at the Milak border crossing and urged the Taliban to punish those behind the incident.
In April, Dogharoon border crossing was temporarily shut down following a “dispute” between Iranian and Afghan border guards.
There have been a number of incidents at the border since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last year. An Iranian foreign ministry official in January said that the reason for clashes between Iranian forces and the Taliban was the lack of professional conduct by the latter.