Updated

Authorities say a suspected migrant-smuggler has been shot and killed in Greece after attempting to ram a pursuing coast guard vessel.

The merchant marine ministry said the incident occurred before dawn on Tuesday off the Aegean Sea island of Kos, after seven immigrants had been transported by speed boat to a remote part of the island from nearby Turkey.

The ministry said the boat's driver was spotted while returning to Turkey and tried to ram a coast guard vessel. Officers opened fire to try to disable the speedboat, but the driver was fatally injured. The immigrants were later detained on Kos, while the body of the dead boat driver was taken to a hospital for an autopsy.

Greece is a major transit point for migrants entering the European Union illegally.