TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has hanged four drug smugglers in the southern province of Kerman, Watan Emrooz newspaper reported on Sunday, taking the overall number of executions so far in 2009 to more than last year's total.

The four were hanged in the prison of Kerman on Saturday, the report said.

The latest hanging brings to at least 247 the number of people executed in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP count based on news reports.

In 2008, Iran hanged 246 people, the highest number of executions carried out by any country bar China.