TEHRAN, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Three Iranian police officers were killed in a clash with gunmen in the southeastern province of Kerman on Thursday, a news agency reported.
The semi-official Mehr news agency, quoting a provincial official, said the police officers were transferring a suspected kidnapper from Kerman province when their car was attacked by bandits.
In a separate incident in Kerman, security forces killed five armed drug smugglers on Wednesday, the official news agency IRNA reported.
Southeastern Iran, near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a major smuggling route.
The area is the scene of frequent clashes between heavily-armed bandits and security forces.
More than 3,600 Iranian security personnel have been killed in the region fighting drug smugglers since the country&${esc.hash}39;s 1979 Islamic revolution. (Editing by Andrew Dobbie)
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