Civilian seriously injured in landmine explosion while fighting wildfire in Paveh

Hengaw – Tuesday, September 1, 2026

A civilian was seriously injured in a landmine explosion while helping contain a wildfire in the border area of Markhil in Paveh County. The mine was left over from the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War.

According to information obtained by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, the incident occurred on August 31, 2026, as local residents and environmental activists were working to extinguish a wildfire in the forests and pastures of the Markhil area. A landmine exploded during the operation, seriously injuring one person whose identity Hengaw is working to verify.

Landmines and the lack of comprehensive, standardized clearance operations in Iran’s border provinces continue to kill and maim dozens of local residents, environmental activists, and kolbars each year.

Despite decades having passed since the end of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian government has yet to fulfill its international obligations to fully clear these areas and deploy advanced mine-clearance equipment.