Military Stages Drills Near Northwest Border

The Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps have started heavy artillery fire drills in northwestern Iran. The drills, codenamed Moharram, started on Sunday, with Lieutenant General Hossein Salami, the IRGC's second-in-command, and Lieutenant General Mohammad Pakpour, who commands the IRGC Ground Forces, in attendance, Press TV reported. The exercises, centered in the Oshnavieh border region, will include artillery, armored and airborne units. The main part, which is underway, involves practicing defensive preparedness tactics by infantry, armored, electronic warfare and rocket units, as well as the ground-operating squadrons of IRGC. Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shohadah Base of the IRGC Ground Forces plays the key role in the maneuvers. The country's northwest has repeatedly witnessed inroads by terrorist and anti-revolutionary elements and hence constitutes a focus of the IRGC's counter-terrorism operations. Clashes with the PJAK militant group based in Iraq are a frequent occurrence in the border area.