An Iranian general and a pilot lost their lives in a helicopter crash during an anti-terror operation in the country’s volatile southeastern region, according to reports from state media on Monday.
The incident involved an “ultra-light gyroplane” operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which experienced difficulties while engaged in combat operations within a border area.
The crash occurred in Sirkan, a city located in Sistan-Baluchistan province. The victims have been identified as General Hamid Mazandarani, who commanded the Nineveh Brigade in Golestan province, and Hamed Jandaghi, a pilot serving with the IRGC’s ground forces.
This tragic event comes in the wake of an intensified military operation launched by Iran’s armed forces on October 26, following an attack that resulted in the deaths of ten police officers.
The attack was claimed by Sunni Muslim militants, prompting the government to escalate its efforts against insurgent groups.
During the ongoing operation, Iranian forces have reportedly killed several militants and apprehended numerous others, according to various Iranian media outlets.
Sistan-Baluchistan, which shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is noted as one of Iran’s most impoverished provinces.
It is home to a significant population of the Baluch minority, an ethnic group dispersed across Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who predominantly adhere to Sunni Islam, contrasting with Iran’s majority Shiite population.
This province has been marked by persistent conflicts involving Iranian security forces, Baluch rebels, radical Sunni factions, and drug trafficking operations.
While helicopter accidents are infrequent in Iran, the nation has seen notable incidents, such as the tragic crash that claimed the life of former President Ebrahim Raisi in May.
Raisi’s helicopter collided with a mountainside, resulting in his death along with that of then-Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others, which triggered immediate snap elections in the country.
