Wave of Violence and Crackdowns in Balochistan: Fuel Carriers Targeted, Stateless Baloch Families Detained
DOZZAAP (ZAHEDAN): A deadly wave of violence and state repression has swept through Balochistan this weekend, leaving several Baloch civilians dead and injured, and dozens of stateless Baloch families detained by Iranian authorities.
In one of the most alarming incidents, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Iranian intelligence agents opened fire on a group of Baloch fuel carriers in the Kahnok region of Khash. The attack killed Ehsan Brahoi Zirkari, 20, and seriously injured Hamed Kharkohi, 22. Both victims were from Zahedan.
According to eyewitnesses, plainclothes agents from the Ministry of Intelligence, driving a Peugeot Pars, ambushed a convoy of around ten fuel-laden vehicles. During the attack, the vehicle carrying Ehsan and Hamed veered off the road and crashed into an electric pole. Ehsan died at the scene.
Hamed, who sustained injuries to his hands, legs, and back, is currently receiving treatment at Khatam Hospital in Zahedan.
Fuel transportation across the arbitrary Gold Smith Line border is a lifeline for many impoverished Baloch families, but it has increasingly become a deadly occupation due to constant harassment, shootings, and road accidents.
The Baloch Activists Campaign’s 2024 Annual Report documented 375 casualties among Baloch fuel carriers — including 240 deaths — a 54.67% increase from the previous year. Most of the casualties were caused by either military shootings or dangerous road conditions while fleeing security forces.
Just one day earlier, on July 18, three Baloch fuel carriers were killed in a fatal crash between two Nissan pickup trucks near the village of Heitmak in Sarbaz. The victims were identified as Yaser Dahmardeh son of Haji Mohammad from Karimabad, Zahedan; Abdul Hamid Omarzehi son of Rahmat; and Khaled Kouhsari son of Hassan — both from Heitmak, Sarbaz.
All three died at the scene due to the severity of their injuries.
Also on Saturday, Iranian military forces raided the Naserabad area of Khash, arresting dozens of stateless Baloch residents along with their families. They were reportedly taken to the Khash Foreign Nationals Camp and are expected to be transferred to the Al-Ghadir Camp in Zahedan for deportation to Afghanistan.
Eyewitnesses shared videos showing detained families, including women and children, held under the scorching sun without basic provisions.
Rights advocates have condemned the move, warning that these Baloch individuals are indigenous to the region and not foreign nationals. Tens of thousands of Baloch citizens in Iranian Occupied Balochistan remain undocumented due to decades of state neglect and discriminatory policies that deny them legal identity.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” said one local resident. “These are not foreigners — they were born here, live here, and belong here. Detaining and deporting them is a gross violation of their rights.”
The latest incidents highlight the worsening situation in Balochistan, where state violence, discrimination, and economic marginalisation have led to growing unrest. While fuel smuggling has long been one of the few means of survival for many families, it continues to come at the cost of Baloch lives, with little to no accountability from Iranian authorities.
Meanwhile, the arrest of stateless families has sparked fears of further repression and forced displacement, deepening the crisis in Iranian Occupied Balochistan, one of the most marginalised and militarised regions.
