IRNA � Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force commander in charge of the fire fighting operation said the blaze in Iraqi part of Hoor Al-Azim, that is extended to southwestern Iran, has been contained.

'The force has been struggling with the fire in Hoor Al-Azim since July 18, with two helicopters equipped for fire fighting,' Brigadier General Shamseddin Farzadipoor said on Wednesday.

Another Ilyushin plane has been deployed to the region since Monday that has been incessantly fighting the fire, he said.

Due to the exacerbating effect of the smoke on sand and dust storms in the southern parts of Iran, the efforts have been speeded up to prevent the threats on environment and people, according to the commander.

The fire broke out some 20 days ago in western parts of the lagoon straddling Iran and Iraq.

The fire-prone area of the Iraqi part of Hoor Al-Azim covers an area of 150,000 hectares. More than 16,000 hectares of entire area have been burning over the past two weeks.

The lagoon has also been an origin of sand and dust storms since being dried up due to the low level of rivers' water.