2 Iranian revolutionary guards killed in helicopter crash

An Iranian Revolutionary Guards general and a pilot were killed in a helicopter crash during an anti-terror operation in the country’s southeast, as reported by state media on Monday.

The incident involved an “ultra-light gyroplane” belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and occurred while conducting combat operations in a border area.

The crash took place in Sirkan, located in Sistan-Baluchistan province. The deceased have been identified as General Hamid Mazandarani, commander of the Nineveh Brigade of Golestan province, and Hamed Jandaghi, a pilot with the IRGC ground forces.

Since October 26, Iranian armed forces have intensified operations in the region following an attack that resulted in the deaths of ten police officers, attributed to Sunni Muslim militants. Reports indicate that during these operations, several militants have been killed and others apprehended.

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Sistan-Baluchistan is one of Iran’s most impoverished provinces, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It is home to a significant population of the Baluch minority, an ethnic group that practices Sunni Islam, contrasting with Iran’s predominantly Shiite population. The province has a history of violent clashes involving Iranian security forces, Baluch rebels, radical Sunni groups, and drug traffickers.

Although helicopter accidents are uncommon in Iran, a previous incident led to the death of former president Ebrahim Raisi in May when his helicopter crashed into a mountainside, resulting in snap elections in the country.

AFP