Iranian border guards kill, wound two in southeast Sulaimani region

Iranian border guards Sunday evening opened fire on four citizens of the Kurdistan Region in its southeast area, killing and wounding at least two of them.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iranian border guards Sunday evening opened fire on four citizens of the Kurdistan Region in its southeast area, killing and wounding at least two of them.

The Kurdish youths went to Shawal area, located on the Kurdistan Region border with Iran, to hunt according to their family which spoke with Kurdistan 24.

One of the Kurdish travelers was killed, and one more was wounded, authorities in the region told Kurdistan 24.

The four men are from the city of Kalar, located in the south of the Sulaimani province, a Kurdistan 24 correspondent confirmed. The only casualty was identified as Bebak Ismael, a twenty-four-year-old teacher.

The two victims are still on the Iranian Kurdish (Rojhilat) side of the border, and the body of Ismael has reportedly not yet been recovered by his family in the Kurdistan Region, according to the Mayor of Maidan town in Kalar, Sardar Mohammed. He noted that authorities from the Kurdistan Region were in talks with Iranian authorities to secure the return of the two victims.

While speaking to Kurdistan 24, Mohammed said the four men had crossed the Iranian border to “hunt birds and wild animals.” The two uninjured men fled back to the Kurdistan Region where they were arrested by the Asayish for further interrogation. 

Editing by Nadia Riva