Azerbaijan air force head killed

The commander of the Azerbaijani air defence force has been shot dead outside his house in the capital, Baku, officials and local media have said.

Lt-Gen Rail Rzayev was shot in the head by an unknown gunman while getting into his car at around 0800 (0400 GMT), the Turan news agency said.

A defence ministry spokesman told the Reuters news agency the general died shortly after being taken to hospital.

Gen Rzayev had been head of the ex-Soviet republic's air force since 1992.