Tehran, Iran, August 22
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
Iranian armed forces have downed an unknown unmanned aviation vehicle (UAV) which had entered from the western borders of the country.
Radar systems around the city of Kermanshah spotted the drone, Commander of Kermanshah Air Defense Group Farzad Fereydouni said, IRNA news agency reported August 22.
The commander said air defense missiles targeted and destroyed the drone.
He further said the drone was of the reconnaissance type.
No report has yet been given on the origin of the drone.
Since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), 12 warnings have been issued to foreign flying objects nearing Iranian territory.
The detection and destruction systems engaged in downing the drone were Iranian-made, Fereydouni said.
Last December, Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affiliated Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili said that Iran warned of the U.S.'s U-2 Drone and the country's missile systems were ready to shoot, but the drone returned outright getting the warning signal.
Before, Iran said that the U.S. RQ-170 drone was downed with minimal damage by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit on December 4, 2011, while flying over the Iranian city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the Afghan border.