TEHRAN – Iran’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, has offered details about what happened on Saturday at the Iran-Afghanistan border. 

The Special Envoy said that during a call with the Ministry of Interior and Defense of the Taliban government, it was stressed that the procedures without coordination at the borders should be stopped and that matters should be settled within the framework of the Supreme Border Committee and the updating of documents between the two countries.

An informed source in Herat had reported that there had been tension at the border between the Iranian border guards and the Taliban forces, on Saturday, at the Dogharoon border crossing. The source explained that the Taliban forces initiated the construction of a road in the Dogharoon border area without prior coordination, which is considered a violation of the borders, and the Iranian border guards confronted the effort.

The Taliban forces resisted this measure by the Iranian border guards, and after discussion and quarrels, both sides went on alert.

Sources stated that this tension did not become a case of shooting between the two sides, but an informed source in Herat told the Fars news agency that the Islam Qala border crossing was closed, and that the Taliban security forces were moving towards the border.

Following the incident, an Iranian border police commander said that calm prevails along the common border with Afghanistan.

Commenting about reports of a dispute between Iranian and Afghan border guards and the temporary closure of a border crossing, Commander of Taybad Border Regiment Colonel Mohammad Cheragh said the Taliban border forces had “faced ambiguities” because of unfamiliarity with the border laws and regulations, Tasnim reported. 

Following the negotiations between the border guards of Iran and Afghanistan, it was agreed that the experts on border issues from the two sides would address the case in order to clarify matters and resolve the ambiguities, the commander said.

“Calm prevails at the common border between Iran and Afghanistan with the prospect for peace and friendship,” he stated.

The colonel also underlined that the Iranian border forces are fully prepared to ensure security along the boundaries.

Iran has been paying more attention to developments in Afghanistan over the last few days particularly after a wave of explosions hit the war-torn country. 

On Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a message warning about the spread of violence in Afghanistan. 

Following the recurrence of criminal terrorist explosions in schools and mosques in different parts of Afghanistan, which have resulted in the martyrdom and injury of a significant number of Afghans, Raisi sent a message and warned about the spread of threats against the Afghan people and nations in the region.

While strongly condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Raisi stressed the need to ensure the security of all Afghans, especially their complete security in schools, mosques and religious centers.

He also stressed the responsibility of the Afghan rulers in identifying and punishing the terrorists responsible for the recent attacks, and said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to cooperate and use all its means to counter the threat of Takfiri terrorism and prevent recurrence of these tragedies, according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.

Raisi also said that Iran is ready to provide assistance to the victims of these terrorist attacks in the field of medicine.

In recent days, terrorists have carried out several cowardly explosions on schools, mosques and fasting worshipers in various provinces of Afghanistan, including Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz, killing scores of Shiite and Sunni Muslims, including women and children.