Iran walls off part of border with Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): In an attempt to block the entry of illegal immigrants, the Iran has erected a wall along more than 10 kilometres of its eastern border with Afghanistan.

General Nozar Nemati, deputy commander of army ground forces, said: “More than 10 kilometres of walls have been built on the border and another 50 kilometres are ready to be walled off.”

The Iranian Students’ News Agency quoted him as saying: “We want to control the country’s entries and exits and increase the security of border areas.”

In order to strengthen border controls and prevent illegal entries, Iran is mulling over measures, including barbed wire and water-filled ditches.

More than 90 per cent of the foreigners living in Iran are said to be Afghan citizens, who are said to be without identity documents.

PAN Monitor/mud