A rare incident occurred this morning (Wednesday) on the border between Iran and Afghanistan, when Taliban forces clashed with Iranian soldiers following an incursion attempt, the details of which have not yet been clarified.
The Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic denied the case and attributed the exchange of fire to locals.
Reports from the region detailed that several Iranian Border Police positions were occupied by the Taliban near the southeastern province of Nimroz, and social media shared clips of the organization's personnel with small arms, RPGs and machine guns while inside the outposts.
As of this writing, it appears that the incident is not over yet and it is possible that the Taliban even sent reinforcements to the area.
A Taliban man shoots a civilian trying to escape Kabul
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan last August, in parallel with the US unilateral withdrawal from the country. Islamic extremists led a rapid takeover across the country, which eventually reached the gates of Kabul. The then president, Ashraf Ghani, fled to the United Arab Emirates On the return of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan".
In recent times, however, clashes have taken place in the internal arena, where the Taliban have been forced to fight with the Islamic State province of Khurasan, a local branch of ISIS that has led a series of deadly suicide bombings in Shiite minority markets and mosques in the country.
The incident is the Taliban's first confrontation with a foreign power since the West withdrew from the country.
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