Three policemen have been killed in operations against drug smugglers in southern and southeastern Iran, local media reported on Thursday.

In the first incident, two policemen were killed in fighting with bandits near the town of Kharameh in the southern province of Fars Tuesday evening, the report said. Three members of a narcotics trafficking gang were also killed.

Iran Daily quoted provincial police commander Brig. Gen. Sirous Sajjadian as saying that four tons of narcotics were seized from the smugglers.

In the second incident, a local police commander and two bandits were killed in clashes between police and narcotics traffickers in the southeastern city of Iranshahr on Wednesday.

Iran is located at the crossroads of the international drug smuggling route from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, to Europe.