Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 3
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iranian paramilitary forces have started a two-day drill in capital city of Tehran on Sept. 3 morning.
A total of 50,000 Basij voluntary forces affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) from 25 battalions are taking part in the exercise, ISNA News Agency reported.
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.
Commander of the IRGC, General Mohammad Ali Jafari said at the news conferences that the drills aim to boost the forces' defensive preparedness to neutralize possible threats against country's national security, as well as to conduct rescue operations.
Previously Jafari said that Iran plans to conduct 20 military exercises until March 2016.