Iran issues shoot-to-kill order on Afghan bandits

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran has ordered its forces to shoot Afghan drug traffickers on sight in an attempt to end a wave of murders and kidnappings along its border with Afghanistan, a newspaper reported Thursday.

"We have ordered our forces to immediately shoot at armed bandits as soon as they spot them," the daily Kayhan quoted a commander of the state Islamic militia as saying in eastern Khorasan province, bordering Afghanistan.

He said residents in 550 border villages had been armed to fight traffickers, who have kidnapped at least 24 villagers in the past days.

They later released nine hostages in exchange for food.

Iran is a major transit route for drugs from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Europe and Gulf Arab states. Armed bandits often take villagers hostage in border areas for ransom or to force them to transport drugs.

The move to arm villagers came after police appeared unable to win an uphill battle against the heavily armed traffickers based in the mountains.

Last week, bandits killed four policemen and took eight others hostage.

Security forces killed three traffickers in their mountain hide out and freed a hostage, Kayhan said, without giving a date.

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