DUSHANBE Russian border guards killed three Afghans in an overnight shootout at the Tajik-Afghan border, a spokesman told AFP Tuesday. The trespassers opened fire on the Russian patrol, who killed the three men as they tried to cross the Pyandzh River, the border guard spokesman said. Over 35 smugglers have been killed so far this year in deadly clashes on the Tajik-Afghan border which is patrolled by Russian guards under an agreement between Moscow and Dushanbe.