Qazi Kavani, a merchant from Sardasht who had been severely wounded several nights ago following direct gunfire by the government forces of the Islamic Republic in the border regions, lost his life after several days of hospitalization.
According to Kolbarnews, on the evening of Sunday, May 23, 2026, Qazi Kavani, a tradesman from the village of “Dolehto” in Sardasht County, died in Mahabad Hospital due to the severity of injuries he had sustained as a result of a direct gunshot wound to the head.
Based on received information, this tradesman had been targeted by direct gunfire from government forces several nights earlier in the border area of “Jasusan” in Sardasht County and was severely injured. After being transferred to a medical center and remaining hospitalized for several days, he lost his life due to the deterioration of his physical condition.
The continued use of firearms against tradesmen and kolbars in border regions persists while a significant number of these citizens, in the absence of sustainable livelihood opportunities, are forced to earn a living through activities in the border strip. In recent years, direct shootings by government forces under the pretext of combating the transport of smuggled goods have repeatedly led to the killing and injury of Kurdish citizens in border areas.
According to statistics recorded by Kolbarnews, in the year 2025, a total of 57 Kolbars in the border regions and intercity routes of the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Kermanshah were killed or injured due to factors such as direct shootings by the regime’s military forces, avalanches and hypothermia, landmine explosions, falls from mountains and heights, and other incidents. Of this number, 26 Kolbars, equivalent to (46%), were killed and 31 Kolbars, equivalent to (54%), were injured. Of the total 57 Kolbars who were killed or injured in 2025, a total of 44 cases, equivalent to (77%), resulted from direct shootings by the regime’s military forces. Of the total 57 Kolbars who were killed or injured in 2025, a total of 2 Kolbars, equivalent to (4%), were child kolbars under the age of 18, one of whom was killed as a result of direct gunfire by Iraqi border guards (Haras al-Hudud).Despite a 69 percent decrease in the total number of killed and injured kolbars in 2025 compared to 2024, the proportion of deaths relative to total casualties increased from 28 percent to 46 percent. This change indicates a significant increase in the share of deaths among total casualties and reflects the increasingly deadly nature of incidents in 2025.