Afghanistan, Iran Discuss Brief Border Skirmish
TEHRAN – Representatives of Iran and Afghanistan have held a meeting in the wake of a short skirmish that broke out at a border area on July 31, an official said.
The Iranian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, said in a post on his Twitter account that officials from Iran and the defense ministry of the Taliban regime held a meeting following border clashes in the Hirmand region Sunday.
He said the defense ministry of the Taliban has ordered its border forces to cease engaging in belligerent actions.
The armed clashes broke out on Sunday noon near the Iranian village 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.
It started after a number of the Taliban forces tried to hoist the flag of their regime in a region on Iranian soil.
In comments on Sunday evening, Iranian deputy interior minister for security affairs said Afghan officials have been reminded repeatedly that their border forces should avoid activities resulting in armed clashes.
Afghan border forces must be provided with instructions on geographical boundaries, Majid Mirahmadi underlined.
He said a small number of the Taliban forces ignored border limitations on Sunday and took provocative measures in the Zahak border region.
The deputy minister Iranian border guards handled the situation and prevented an escalation of tensions, although Afghan forces fired shots at the Iranian troops.