In times of drought, water is particularly precious and can lead to armed conflicts. Between Iran and Afghanistan, tension has increased in recent days over the distribution of water from the Helmand River, a dam built in Afghanistan restricting the flow of water to Iran. Two people were killed on Saturday in an exchange of fire between Iranian forces and Taliban on the border between the two countries. Both sides accuse each other of having fired first.
Border tensions
“During the clash, one person was killed on each side and several were injured,” Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafy Takor said on his Twitter account, adding that his government “does not want war with its neighbour. »
On Saturday morning, “Taliban forces began firing all kinds of weapons at an Iranian police station from Afghan territory,” Iranian police deputy commander General Ghassem Rezai said earlier, quoted by the official agency Irna. The police then responded to these shots which occurred on the border of the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, in the south-east of Iran. “After the start of the clash (…), the police chief ordered the border guards (…) to prevent anyone from approaching the border”, added General Rezaï.
Water, source of fights
Iran, which shares a border of more than 900 km with Afghanistan, does not recognize the government formed by the Taliban. Tehran recently warned it ‘reserved’ the right to take action to capture water from Helmand, which originates in central Afghanistan and irrigates large farmlands in the southeast from Iran. “Tehran accuses Kabul of violating an agreement dating back to 1973, governing the flow of the Helmand River, a vital source of water” while Afghanistan denies the accusations, explains in addition France Inter.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan was “determined to fulfill its obligations” but that “inappropriate statements” made by Iran could damage ties between the two countries.