(Tehran) Iranian and Taliban forces briefly exchanged fire Saturday on the border between Iran and Afghanistan, Iranian police said, without reporting casualties.
The incident comes amid tensions between Tehran and Kabul over the distribution of water from the Helmand River, a dam built in Afghanistan limiting the flow of water to drought-stricken Iran.
On Saturday morning, “the Taliban forces started firing all kinds of weapons at an Iranian police station from Afghan territory”, deputy police commander General Ghassem Rezai was quoted by the official Irna agency as saying. .
The police then responded “determinedly” to these shots which occurred on the border of the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, in the south-east of Iran.
“After the Taliban clash started, the police chief ordered the border guards […] prevent anyone from approaching the border,” General Rezai added.
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.
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.