Iranian Army's Gunfire, Accidents Kill 27 Baluch Fuel Carriers

At least 27 Baluch fuel carriers have lost their lives over the past 11 days, an activist news website reported. 

According to a report by the Haalvsh news website, direct shootings by military personnel during chases, as well as road accidents, were the leading causes of death.

Many young men in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan – home to Iran's predominantly ethnic Sunni Baluch minority – resort to transporting fuel to Pakistan to make a living. 

These people are called fuel carriers or 'sookhtbar' in Persian. However, the government refers to them as "smugglers" and treats them no better than terrorists. 

Dozens of fuel carriers are fatally shot or injured by Iranian security forces every year. 

At least 172 fuel carriers lost their lives last year, according to activists.