Mansour Soleimani, a kolbar from a village of Salas-e Babajani, was seriously injured by a landmine explosion while he was working along the border of Nowsud (in the region of Kermanshah).

According to Kolbarnews, Mr. Soleimani was injured in the right leg and was transferred to Quds Paveh Hospital because of the severity of his injuries.

Iranian forces have killed 17 kolbars in Bane alone from 1 January to 5 December 2023.

Kolbars and kasibkars are targeted systematically by Iranian and Turkish security forces. Each year, dozens of them are killed with no punitive measures being taken. Apart from systematic attacks, kolbars are struggling to make a living under harsh weather conditions, dangerous geographical locations and mines.

Kolber or “kolbar” is derived from the Kurdish words “kol” and “bar”. Kol means “back”, bar means “load”. Kolbars make their living by carrying goods on their backs across dangerous borders. The goods they carry include cigarettes, mobile phones, blankets, household items, tea and rarely alcoholic beverages. They have to pass through dangerous roads between South Kurdistan and East Kurdistan. The goods brought are sold at relatively high prices in commercial centres such as Tehran. However, kolbars who carry out the transportation of goods at the expense of their lives receive a very small amount of wages.

Kasibkar refers to those people who receive the goods kolbars carry to South Kurdistan and find buyers in towns.