AFP: 14 Iranian troops killed in helicopter crash

[Bhaisahab]

TEHRAN (AFP) - Fourteen Iranian military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash last week during an operation against rebels close to the Turkish border, the Revolutionary Guards confirmed on Monday.

A statement carried by the ISNA agency said that two commanders of the Guards' ground force and 12 other military personnel were killed in Friday's accident. Kurdish rebels had claimed they shot down the aircraft.

"Commanders Ghahari Said and Dorosti of the Guards' Hamzeh Army 3, along with 12 other members of the Islamic republic's army and the Guards, were martyred in the helicopter accident," the army statement said.

It said the operation against the "mercenary elements opposing the Islamic republic was carried out in the valleys close to the town of Khoy" 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Turkish border.

Iranian state media had earlier reported that the crash was "an accident due to bad weather."

CONTINED AT: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070226/wl_mideast_afp/iranunrestmilitary_070226095522

[BayCityProgressive]

1. How much you wanna bet

Israel will fly a plane into Iran, it will be shot down, and Israel will claim it was in their territory. Just like when they sent those soldiers into Lebanon, then got mad when they were abducted.

[TriMetFan]

2. If Israel would do what you say,,....

they would have had to move The State of Israel passed Jordan and Iraq and the world would know the Israel was lying. Israel has no territory on the Iran board.

[Psephos]

3. Baztab: Ten Killed in Iranian Revolutionary Guard Helicopter Crash

News Code: 831 Date: 17:11:46 - 2007/02/24

Ten Killed in IRGC Helicopter Crash

A helicopter of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps (IRGC) crashed northwest of Iran on Friday in which two IRGC commanders and eight forces were killed.

The helicopter was on a mission at Khoy region, East Azarbaijan province, where it had to make an emergency landing immediately after which it was exploded. All IRGC forces on the board including two commanders were killed instantly.

Some sources cited technical problems as the cause of the explosion. But certain terrorist organizations claimed that the helicopter exploded after they targeted it with US made SA-7 rockets.

<snip>

http://en.baztab.com/content/?cid=831

Iran has had some trouble lately in its Northwest provinces with attacks and operations by counter-revolutionaries. More here on the insurgency mop-up Iran has been undertaking:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C93F900D-EF61-4D79-9287-7DA1A60FA9BB.htm

Note: Despite what the report says, the SA-7 rocket is not a U.S. weapon. It's an older Russian design, and has been licensed for manufacture to several countries, including China, Egypt, and Pakistan.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. "the helicopter exploded after they targeted it with US made..."

huh.

[ohio2007]

7. and so it begins

exploded after it landed.
? after it landed..... was there a bomb on board with a faulty detonator ?
Iran has a history of military accidents due to lack of spare parts.
The question I'm wondering were the deaths members of the mullahs army or the presidents army.
They do have separate guard units and the ones loyal to the president have died in air mishaps in the past.


A purge ?

[High Plains]

16. That's some speculation ya got going there.

Almost as good as the coca into opium factories one.

Having fun, are we?

[sanskritwarrior]

5. LOL SA-7's are Russian in origin

and that region of Iran is heavily Kurdish and the Kurds and Persians have already been fighting each other for years.......

[youngdem]

6. Came here to say the same

SA-7's are Russian, NOT American weapons.

[hogwyld]

13. But who knows with our criminal regime

They sureley have some SA-7's stashed somewhere to supply insurgents and with the "Russian" weapons, keeps the trail of evidence of U.S. involvment at a minimum.

[ohio2007]

8. The clashes in West Azarbaijan come almost two weeks after 13 members of the guards were killed

when a car bomb ripped through a bus carrying them to a base in the southeastern border province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C93F900D-EF61-4D79-9287-7DA1A60FA9BB.htm


Time for the hanging judge to dispense justice in a timely manner before the general public becomes alarmed

[uppityperson]

9. That region (SE) has frequent things like that

bombs and explosions.

[ohio2007]

10. Very populated by the minority Sunni tribes

that have family connections in Pakistan.

Some other Sunni dominated states may be doing more than opening up their checkbook to events playing out in Iran.
http://www.payvand.com/news/07/feb/1325.html
on edit,
I forgot another regional power broker with vital interests in the area

Turkey PM denies anti-Shia alliance
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, has said that a series of meetings planned by Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, for leaders of key Muslim Sunni states are not aimed at forging an alliance against Shia Iran.

<snip>
Media reports in the Arab world suggested, however, that Musharraf was aiming to establish up a Sunni alliance to confront the rising influence of Iran in the region.
<snip>
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D76ECBFA-FBB2-452F-804B-1CE4B32FD8CC.htm

al Jazeera just loves to stir that middle east melting pot with ingredients that won't blend

[Pavulon]

11. Or it was old soviet crap

that crashed and then burned. They were probably carrying ordinance on board. Iran has had several accidents including troops being pulled out of aircraft at altitude, etc.

We have training accidents.

[bluerum]

12. Ok, so the CIA fires the missle, or sells it to someone else who does.

Does that make it an American rocket made by the Ruskies?

[Eugene]

14. Is Baztab a credible news source?

Baztab's backers have unofficial ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards
and Iranian authorities are censoring Baztab content for its harsh criticism
of Ahmadinejad. Baztab represents Iran's anti-reform lunatic-fringe right.

A report from the Iran's state-run Press TV service says the crash
was an accident:
8 Iranians killed in military helicopter accident - IRIB/Press TV

The al Jazeera article at the link and the Press TV article both quote
Iran's official media saying that the Revolutionary Guards were fighting
PKK forces.

[Psephos]

15. Good question

I was gonna say, "I report, you decide," but I figured that would rightly earn me a few peltings with eggs and rotten tomatoes. :-)

Every source has its biases, especially in the Middle East. IRIB/PressTV has reasons for saying it one way, Baztab for saying it another.

Meanwhile, Iran has long had a problem with its own mini-insurgency. No news there.

Peace.