TEHRAN: The Iranian police seized 697 kg of illicit drugs and killed six armed smugglers in an operation in the southern province of Kerman, provincial police chief Abdolreza Nazeri said on Tuesday.

Additionally, three assault rifles and large quantities of ammunition were seized from the smugglers, Nazeri was quoted as saying by state TV.

In the operation, one police officer was killed and five others were injured by the armed drug traffickers, he added.

Iran has been suffering from drug trafficking given its location at the crossroads of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe.

Over the past few decades, Iran’s eastern and southeastern borders have seen deadly clashes between Iranian security forces and armed drug smugglers.

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