Minor Sukhtbar in Hirman County Killed by Direct Shooting of Border Police

On January 31, a ten year old boy who worked as a cross-border fuel carrier (sukhtbar) was killed from a shot in the head fired by military forces in a border area in Hirmand County.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, border forces killed the child without warning by a direct and unruly shooting.

The identity of this child is still unknown at the time of writing.

According to HRANA’s annual report, in 2021, 242 citizens were targeted by unruly shootings by regime military forces, of which 94 were killed. This includes 23 kolbars (cross border carriers) and 31 sukhtbars (cross-border fuel porters). 148 people have been injured, including 81 kolbars and 51 sukhtbars.

Ten Year Old Child Killed by Landmine Blast in Elam Province

In a border area near Dehloran County in Elam Province, a landmine blast killed a 10 year old child.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Mehr News Agency,

“A 10 year old child from nomadic people was grazing the cattle when one of the cattle stepped on a landmine and the child was hit in the chest by the shreds”, commented Dehloran police commander Colonel Manoochehr Makki.

“The wounded child was sent to a hospital but was lost due to severe injuries,” he added.

Every year, landmine explosions take several victims in  Iran’s border areas. There are about 42,000 square kilometres of war zones in Iran that have not yet been fully demined from the Iran-Iraq war.

In flagrant violation of international conventions, the regime is still using these landmines to secure its borders.

Accordingly, there are still thousands of landmines planted in Iran in the border areas with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. The regime also planted many landmines during the conflicts of the 1980s in Kurdistan.

5-year-old Child Killed by Military Gunfire in Iranshahr

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Rasanak, on Monday, May 10, 2021, a 5-year-old child was killed by military forces’ gunfire in the city of Iranshahr.

Drug Control Force officers were reportedly chasing smugglers in a similar-looking vehicle, and mistakenly opened fire on the car in which the child sat. 

According to the report, a group of citizens protested this incident later on the same day in Iranshahr. 

Security forces were present at this protest and before long, tensions escalated and violence broke out. 

The report states that the security forces opened fire into the crowd of protesters. Whether there were casualties of this subsequent incident of military violence is currently unknown.