The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan called on Thursday, 17th of October, 2024 for an investigation into reports that a large group of Afghan migrants had been shot and killed on the Afghanistan-Iran border.

According to Reuters, Afghan media outlets including Tolo News, citing witnesses, said more than 200 Afghan migrants who entered Iran illegally were attacked on Iranian territory, and that dozens had been killed and injured.

Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, denied the reports of the “death of dozens of illegal nationals” in a post on X.

Tolo News quoted an “Iranian human rights organisation” saying that Iranian border guards had attacked the migrants.

Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration has not confirmed the incident and said it was investigating.

The United Nations’ Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement expressed “deep concern over disturbing reports of an incident on 14 to 15 October in Sistan province, Sarbaz district, Kala Gan border area of Iran, with allegations that a large group of Afghan migrants were opened fire on, resulting in deaths and injuries.”