A Baloch Sukhtbar was killed and another severely injured following an unannounced shooting by law enforcement forces in Bam County.
According to Kolbarnews, on Tuesday, June 2, 2025, during a shooting incident near a checkpoint in Bam County, two Baloch Sukhtbars were shot by law enforcement forces. As a result, one Sukhtbar was killed and the other seriously wounded.
The deceased Sukhtbar has been identified as Mohammad Harith Mohammadian (Mohammadani), 28 years old, son of Shahbaz.
The injured Sukhtbar is Majid Shirouzehi, 47 years old, son of Jihand, married with children. Both were residents of Sefid Sang village in the Central District of Zahedan.
According to local sources, at around 11 a.m. on the day of the incident, the two Sukhtbars were passing near a checkpoint in Bam County when officers opened fire on them. The officers had not issued any prior warning and, upon spotting the vehicle’s license plate indicating it was from Sistan and Balochistan Province, used a tire spike trap to stop the vehicle and immediately opened fire. The intensity of the gunfire caused the vehicle to catch fire, resulting in severe injuries to its occupants.
Mohammad Harith, who suffered severe burns, died on the morning of Wednesday, June 3, 2025, after being transferred to Shafa Hospital in Kerman. Majid Shirouzehi is currently hospitalized in critical condition in the ICU of the same hospital.
Eyewitnesses and informed sources emphasized that no checkpoint stop or prior warning was issued to the vehicle, and the sole reason for the shooting was its Balochistan license plate.
Sukhtbari is considered one of the unconventional and dangerous jobs that many Baloch people in Balochistan have been forced to turn to due to the lack of suitable and stable employment. Accidents, vehicle overturns, and direct gunfire from military and security forces are among the dangers that threaten the lives of these Sukhtbars. According to reports from Baloch activists, in the year 2024, at least 375 Baloch Sukhtbars have been injured or lost their lives due to shootings by military forces, traffic accidents, and vehicle fires. Of this number, 240 Sukhtbars were killed and 135 were injured, representing a 55% increase in the number of killed and injured Sukhtbars compared to the year 2023.
