Border point closed as airstrike on Shalamcheh crossing kills Iraqi traveler

BASRA — An airstrike on the Shalamcheh border crossing killed one Iraqi traveler and wounded five others Saturday, hitting the travelers’ hall on the Iranian side of the crossing and forcing a complete halt to operations, local officials said.

Aqeel al-Furaiji, head of Basra’s Border Ports Committee, said the strike damaged civilian facilities near the passport section, including collapsed sections and damaged computers. Videos circulating on social media showed panic among travelers and extensive damage inside the waiting hall. Al-Furaiji said the travelers’ system has been suspended and all work at the crossing has stopped completely.

The strike is the second on the Shalamcheh crossing in less than two weeks. In late March, an airstrike on the Iranian side wounded five truck drivers including two Iraqis and damaged several Iraqi trucks. That attack also led to a temporary suspension of trade activity at the crossing.