Drug traffickers killed near Iran-Pakistan border: Police

[Ganesha]

TEHRAN - Iranian border guards killed six alleged drug traffickers said to have crossed from neighbouring Pakistan, the official IRNA news agency said on Saturday.

The six were shot dead after they allegedly crossed the border and opened fire, the report said quoting the Iranian Sistan-Baluchestan province border police.

Over 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of opium and hashish were seized, the report said.

After a number of drug traffickers... not only did not pay attention to the halt orders but started shooting, the Iranian border patrol returned fire,¡± the police added.

The report came a day after Pakistani officials said that Iranian border guards shot dead at least six Pakistanis and wounded two others after they strayed across the border in a remote southwestern area of Pakistan.

Earlier this month, Pakistan deported three Iranian border guards after they were pardoned in court by the family of a man killed in a cross-border attack.

The guards were arrested on January 2 in southwestern Baluchistan province after allegedly crossing the border and shooting at a car, killing a Pakistani.