TEHRAN (FNA)- Irans Basij (Voluntary) Force plans to stage massive drills in Damqan city in the Northern province of Semnan on Thursday and Friday, a senior commander announced on Wednesday.The two-day Towards Beit al-Moqaddas (Jerusalem) drills will be conducted on February 28-29 with the participation of Imam Hossein, al-Zahra and Beit al-Moqaddas battalions, Commander of Damqan Corps Colonel Seyed Mohammad Reza Hosseini said on Wednesday.
Maintaining the preparedness and solidarity of Basij forces and improvement of the military power and combat logistics of these forces are among the most important objective of these exercises, he added.
In relevant remarks on Tuesday a senior commander also announced that Irans Basij Force plans to stage massive drills in 6 provinces of the country on Thursday and Friday.
6 provincial corps will conduct Towards Beit al-Moqaddas (Jerusalem) and Kossar exercises this Thursday and Friday, Basij Force Commander for Operations Brigadier General Nosratollah Seif said.
He said that Tehran provinces Seyyed al-Shohada, Qom provinces Ali Ibn Abitaleb, Semnan provinces Qaem Al-e Mohammad, North Khorassan provinces Javad al-A'emmeh, Khorassan Razavi provinces Imam Reza and South Khorassan provinces Ansar al-Reza corps are preparing to stage massive wargames later this week.
Also on Monday, Commander of Basijs Qaem Al-e Mohammad Corps Brigadier General Ali Ostad Hosseini told FNA that the 7th round of Basijs serial Towards Beit al-Moqaddas wargames has started in different provinces in recent days, and added that training and practicing blocking operations, distant defense, civil defense, staging raids and anti-heliborne operations, night tactical movement, controlling linking passages and defending sensitive sites will be exercised in the drills.
In December, a provincial commander said that Iran has taught new combat tactics to its Basij forces during the recent Towards Beit al-Moqaddas exercises.
Commander of Basij troops in the Southwestern city of Dezful Abdolamir Mohtashami voiced satisfaction in the successful exercise of Towards Beit al-Moqaddas drills on December 12-13, and said, The two-day military exercises were conducted to increase the preparedness of Ashura and Beitol-Moqaddas battalions in the Quds garrison of Dezful city.
He underlined that better acquisition and practice of new combat and defense tactics have been among the main objectives achieved during the drills.
These maneuvers helped a lot to increasing the preparedness of the popular Basij forces, Mohtashami said.
Fast reaction units of Basij Force staged massive military drills in the Northern Golestan and 8 other provinces across Iran in November.
The massive drills codenamed Towards Beitol-Moqaddas were carried out by three operational battalions of Jundollah, Mohammad Rasulollah (PBUH) and Sarallah in Golestan province. The exercises kicked off after an order by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
The main purpose for these wargames is to retain preparedness and increase the combat capability of the forces to confront any possible move by domestic and foreign enemies, Lieutenant Commander of Golestans Neynava Corps Hossein Karimi told FNA.
He reiterated that these wargames will continue throughout the year.
Fast reaction units of Basij forces have so far conducted tens of similar exercises, codenamed 'Towards Beitol-Moqaddas', throughout Iran to promote their power in confrontation against potential enemy threats against the country.
Basij commanders said that Basij would continue training of its units to promote the power of its forces for confrontation against enemies' hard, semi-hard and soft threats.
In September, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour announced that his forces are scheduled to stage massive wargames in the second half of the current Iranian year (i.e. September 23, 2013-March 20, 2014).
"The IRGC Ground Force will stage drills by the end of the current year," Pakpour told reporters in Tehran in September.
By Fars News Agency
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.
