Alfredo Pacheco was shot at a petrol station in El Salvador

El Salvador's most-capped footballer Alfredo Pacheco has been shot dead at a petrol station in his homeland.

The 33-year-old was chatting with a group of friends when an unknown assailant opened fire on the group.

Two people who were travelling with Pacheco were hurt in the attack, which took place in Santa Ana, 66km west of the capital San Salvador.

"The attorney general's office in Santa Ana processed the crime scene of the murder of Alfredo Pacheco at 3.30am in a petrol station," an official said.

Defender Pacheco played for the Salvadoran sides Club Deportivo FAS and Asociacion Deportiva Isidro Metapan.

Pacheco counts New York Red Bulls among his former clubs after a loan spell there in 2009

The left-back also played for MLS outfit New York Red Bulls and won 86 caps for his country, scoring seven goals, but his career ended in controversy.

Pacheco was banned from football by the Salvadoran Football Federation in September 2013 when it was found he had been involved in match fixing.

El Salvador has seen its murder rate rocket this year, with homicides up 55 per cent compared to 2014. So far this year, there have been 6,068 murders, according to police data.

Pacheco's death comes after former Rangers midfielder Arnold Peralta was killed in Honduras earlier this month

Earlier this month, Honduran international and former Rangers midfielder Arnold Peralta was murdered in a drive-by shooting in his hometown.

A post-mortem examination showed Peralta died from "multiple gunshot wounds to the skull, face and chest" but those responsible have still not been caught.