Four Iranian Provinces to Host Basij Wargames
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A high-ranking commander of Iranian Basij (volunteer) Force said the fifth phase of ‘Ela Beit ul-Muqaddas’ (Towards al-Quds) wargames is to take place in four provinces in coming days.
Lieutenant Commander of Basij Force Colonel Nosratollah Seyf said on Wednesday that four Iranian provinces of Khuzestan, Ilam, Lorestan and Bushehr will host the military exercises on December 12 and 13.
The upcoming drill constitutes the fifth of a total of 8 phases of Ela Beit ul-Muqaddas wargames, the commander noted.
According to Colonel Seyf, two thirds of the entire Basij battalions all over the country will have attended in the wargames when the drills are over in the current Iranian year (ends on 20 March 2014).
Commander of Iran's Basij Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi had announced on July 24 that his forces were to stage a series of wargames in the current Iranian year. He said the exercises would be held in a new form and shape.
“Both the combination, and the form of this year’s wargames will be innovative,” Naqdi stated.
Last year, rapid reaction units of Iran's Basij force held tens of military exercises, codenamed Ela Beit ul-Muqaddas.
The wargames have been held throughout Iran to promote Basij forces' power and preparedness in confronting potential enemy threats against the country.
The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer force established in 1979 by order of the Late Founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini.
The force consists of often young Iranians, who have volunteered, with a strong sense of fidelity towards both the Islamic system and religious beliefs.