Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian Basij militia will held a massive military exercise in the capital city of Tehran, Brigadier General Ahmad Zolghadr, deputy commander of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said.
About 12,000 rapid reaction forces of Basij will participate in the drill which is dubbed "Ila Baitulmuqaddes (to Jerusalem), the commander added.
The drill was already scheduled for April 16-17 but postponed to next week due to bad weather conditions, IRGC announced, Mehr news agency reported April 16.
The purpose of this series of the Ila Baitulmuqaddis drills, which are held each year across the country, is strengthening the Basij`s combat power.
Some 75 Basij battalions will take part in the exercises which include mosaic defense, ambush, counter-ambush as well as anti-heliborne operations.
Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia established in 1979 by order of the Islamic Revolution's leader Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini. The force consists of young Iranians who have volunteered, often in exchange for official benefits.
Currently Basij serve as an auxiliary force engaged in activities such as internal security as well as law enforcement auxiliary, the providing of social service, organizing of public religious ceremonies and policing of morals.