TEHRAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian border guards shot dead two porters in the western border areas of Baneh, in Kurdistan Province, after they sneaked into a restricted area, the spokesman for the Iranian police said on Thursday.
Iranian border guards noticed a group of people carrying packages tried to enter the red zone in the city of Baneh on Tuesday, Brigadier General Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
The guards fired several warning shots but they ignored warnings and crossed into the district, al-Mahdi said.
Given the sensitivity of the region and a record of security threats in the area, the Iranian border guards opened fire on them in a bid to prevent possible future anti-security incidents, he said, adding that two porters were killed in the incident.
Iranian police are struggling to prevent smuggling into the country in border areas, particularly the Kurdish region.
