Iran’s Police Using Aerial Vehicles for Arbaeen Security
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian Police commander said a range of aerial vehicles are flown over border crossings with Iraq to ensure security for the pilgrims that travel to the Arab country to attend the mass processions marking Arbaeen.
Speaking to Tasnim on Saturday, Lieutenant Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Special Forces General Habibollah Jannesari said the police units have been employing drones, balloons, gyroplanes and helicopters to monitor the situation as hundreds of thousands of Iranians are going on pilgrimage to Iraq to perform mourning rituals on Arbaeen, one of the holiest events for Shiite Muslims.
The commander also highlighted the police’s close watch on the traffic of people at the borders with Iraq, including Mehran, Chazzabeh and Shalamcheh border crossings.
Last week, Iran’s Air Defense Commander Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili also gave an assurance that the country is closely monitoring its airspace over the western region and beyond to ensure security for the pilgrims during Arbaeen.
Arbaeen, on which one of the largest religious gatherings in the world is held in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Last year, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Karbala to attend the mourning ceremonies marking Arbaeen.