The incident took place in LerikDistrict at around 1930 local time.

Major Maqsud Nagiyev, 37,was shot and killed and Lt-Col Azar Shafiyev, 50, and Vuqar Vahabov, 29, werewounded when they attempted to prevent the gunmen from crossing the borderillegally, the border service said, without giving further detail.

Deadly shootings between Azerbaijanitroops and smugglers are common at the Iranian border.

ANN.Az