Two members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, including Second Brigadier General Hamid Mazandarani, were killed in a gyroplane crash on Monday in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, near the city of Sirkan, according to the Fars news agency.
General Mazandarani was the commander of the Nineva Brigade in Golestan province, located in northern Iran, though it remains unclear why he was in the volatile southeastern region.
The southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, is frequently the site of violent confrontations between Iranian security forces and Sunni militant groups, as well as drug traffickers. Just last month, ten Iranian border guards were killed in clashes with suspected Sunni militants in the area.
The Revolutionary Guards referred to General Mazandarani and his pilot as “martyrs” but did not provide additional details about the crash. “Second Brigadier General Hamid Mazandarani, the commander of the Nineva Brigade of Golestan province, and his pilot, were martyred in this accident,” the agency said.
This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges in Sistan-Baluchistan, where both militant activity and cross-border smuggling have escalated tensions in recent years.
Melissa Enoch
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