Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
A member of Iran's Basij force (a conservative volunteer militia, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps), Mehdi Norouzi was killed in Iraq in fight with the "Islamic State" (IS, formerly ISIL or ISIS) militants.
Norouzi who was a "command council member of one of Basij bases in western Kermanshah city was killed in a firefight with the IS members on Jan 10 night, Iranian Fars news agency reported Jan. 12.
He will be buried Jan. 12 in his hometown.
Last December a high-ranking general of IRGC, Hamid Taghavi, was killed in Iraq by IS during a mission in the city of Samara.
IRGC said that its member was in Iraq as a military adviser to the Iraqi army, regarding fighting the IS.
The IS was created in 2003 in Iraq. Following the start of military confrontation in Syria between the armed opposition and the government forces, the IS penetrated the country in 2013.
Strengthening of the IS in Syria allowed it to return to Iraq, deploying military actions against government forces there.
Some western and Iraqi media have underscored the significant role of Iranian forces in fighting against the IS.
The media reports say Iranian forces have a decisive presence on the battlefield of the fight. Meanwhile Iranian officials said the Islamic Republic gives only advice and organizational structure to the Iraqi forces.
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