In Iran’s southeastern region, a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Iranian Revolutionary Guards General Hamid Mazandarani and pilot Hamed Jandaghi.
The incident occurred during an anti-terror operation in Sistan-Baluchistan province, a border area plagued by unrest.
According to IRNA news agency, the “ultra-light gyroplane” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was involved in combat operations when the accident happened in Sirkan, a city in Sistan-Baluchistan province.
General Mazandarani was the commander of the Nineveh Brigade of Golestan province, while Jandaghi was a pilot of the IRGC ground forces.
This region has been a hotspot of tensions since October 26, when 10 police officers were killed in an attack claimed by Sunni Muslim militants. Iran’s armed forces have been conducting operations to quell the unrest, resulting in the killing and arrest of several militants, as reported by Iranian media outlets.
Sistan-Baluchistan province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is one of Iran’s most impoverished regions. It’s home to the Baluch minority, an ethnic group spread across Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, practicing Sunni Islam amidst the country’s predominantly Shiite population. This province has witnessed recurring clashes between Iranian security forces and Baluch rebels, radical Sunni groups, and drug traffickers.
Helicopter accidents are rare in Iran, but this incident bears resemblance to the tragic crash that killed former President Ebrahim Raisi in May. Raisi’s helicopter crashed into a mountainside, claiming the lives of seven others, including then-foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
