ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Kurdish man was killed early Thursday after being struck by direct gunfire from government border forces in Baneh, Iran's Kurdistan province, according to the Kurdistan Press Agency (Kurdpa).
The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday, when a Kurdish citizen, identified as Matlab Kheybari, father of two, was killed after being shot by government border forces in the Choman area of Baneh, Kurdpa reported, citing a local informed source.
It also added that the Iranian forces “opened direct fire on this citizen’s head without any prior warning” at the border area.
The source stressed that Kheybari was not involved in smuggling activity at the time, stating that he “was not carrying any smuggled goods” when he was targeted.
Kurdish porters, known as kolbars, frequently cross difficult mountain terrain to transport goods between the Kurdistan Region and Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat).
The work is widely described as dangerous and economically driven, with many families relying on it due to limited job opportunities and rising living costs.
Kolbars typically carry food items, clothing, and cosmetics, and according to Haji Omaran border crossing figures, between 1,000 and 1,500 kolbars cross daily, transporting around 60 tons of goods from the Kurdistan Region to Iran. Many workers hold official kolbar cards permitting movement, though they remain vulnerable to accidents, harsh weather conditions, and sporadic clashes or shootings along the border.
Rights groups and local reports have repeatedly raised concerns over the risks faced by border porters, who often come from impoverished Kurdish border communities where alternative employment is scarce.
