Suspected smugglers killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded another, in a firefight close to the Syrian border Monday night.

The governor for Sanliurfa province, Izzettin Kücük,  told the Turkish news site "Today's Zaman" that the fire fight broke out late Monday near the town of Ceylanpinar at the Syrian border.

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Turkey struggles to keep control of the 900 kilometer long border with Syria.

The country faces growing international pressure to keep European foreign fighters from passing the border and joining militias fighting in the Syrian civil war.

No one knows exactly how many foreign fighters that have actually crossed the border, but it could reach thousands coming from all over the world.

In Monday's incident, the smugglers ignored warning for them to stop and instead started firing at the Turkish soldiers.

Three Turkish soldiers were wounded and taken to local hospitals. Unfortunately, two of them later died, while the third is still in serious condition.

The local governor said the smugglers suffered many casualties.

Smuggled goods such as fuel and sugar are sold at high prices at the black market in Syria and give a cash flow to the rebel-held areas.

It is not clear yet why the smugglers tried to pass the border at that exact location, as it was already especially well guarded and monitored.

Governor Kücük said, "We are trying to determine why the group tried passing the border so close to Ras al-Ain,"

"This Syrian district has been known for heavy clashes between Kurdish militants and radical groups before," he said

Because of that, security in the area has been elevated, and armored vehicles have been deployed, Kücük told reporters.

It is estimated that Turkey is sheltering one million Syrian refugees, many of them housed in camps along the border.

TagsTurkish Syrian border