A Kurdish man and three Afghan nationals have died following a police pursuit that ended with a vehicle overturning in Showt, West Azerbaijan Province, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has learned.
The incident occurred in Yowla Galdi, a city in Showt County, where law enforcement pursued a vehicle driven by Jafar Mirzaei, a Kurdish citizen from Showt.
“On 7 December 2025, law enforcement forces ambushed Jafar Mirzaei’s vehicle in the Yowla Galdi area of Showt County, opening fire and scattering metal spikes along the route. After the vehicle ran over the spikes, it veered off the road and overturned, killing three Afghan nationals attempting to migrate to Europe who were travelling in the vehicle”, a source in Maku told KHRN.
According to the source, “The driver of the vehicle was seriously injured and transferred to a hospital in Khoy [in West Azerbaijan Province], where he was admitted to the intensive care unit for approximately two weeks. He died on Friday, 19 December, due to the severity of his injuries.”
Mirzaei was the father of two children from the city of Showt. The identities of the three Afghan nationals who died have not yet been established.
