Taliban Border Guards Inexperienced Making Mistakes: Iranian Commander

Deputy commander of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces says the Taliban border guards are inexperienced and disorganized and engage in unconventional acts.

Qasem Rezaei said Saturday that before the Taliban came to power, Iran had good communication with Afghan border guards and jointly managed the border.

“Although there were problems, they [Afghans] were responsive. Today, with the Taliban in power, we held meetings with them in Tehran, Kabul and at the borders, but we still we have problems, because the Taliban forces are not accepting any responsibility at the border.”

The Taliban and the Iranian border guards clashed last week in Nimroz. Two Iranian guards and one Taliban fighter were killed after shooting broke out near a border post.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the incident, in which several people were also injured, but it came amid tensions over water rights.

Iran has accused Afghanistan's Taliban of violating a 1973 treaty by restricting the flow of water from the Helmand River to Iran's parched eastern regions, an accusation denied by the Taliban.

In the meetings with their officials, they admit their forces made a mistake and will not repeat it, but sometime later this happens at another place, Rezaie stated.

“Like us, the Taliban seek to establish security at the borders for the movement of travelers and the exchange of goods, but what is happening is due to lack of attention by some Taliban forces at the border.”

The Taliban themselves are upset with the existing conditions on the border and have made sure such issues do not happen again, added Rezaie saying that “it is necessary for Taliban border guards to wear uniforms and adhere to international laws.”