IRGC General Killed in Samarra

IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Taghavi was killed on Saturday in the Iraqi city of Samarra. The IRGC announced today. (Fars News Agency, 28

December)

IRGC said Gen. Taghavi was killed by sniper bullets in the embattled Iraqi city. Shia militias, led by IRGC’s Quds Force, are fighting ISIL insurgents near Samarra.

Gen. Taghavi was a veteran of 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, commanding the IRGC’s Ramazan Headquarters during that war.

File photo: IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Taghavi, KIA in Samarra, Iraq. (Press TV)

'Muhammad Rasullullah' multi-service maneuvers (1)

'Muhammad Rasullullah' multi-service maneuvers, comprising NEZAJA, IRIN, IRIAF and IRIADF. "Main stage" of maneuver scheduled from 25-31 December over an area stretching from the northern Indian Ocean to the Strait of Hormuz, to the southern Iranian provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan. Following magery from 25DEC14:

NEZAJA (Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Force)

NEZAJA T-72S main battle tank

NEZAJA Brigadier General 2C before T-72S main battle tank

NEZAJA BMP-2 infantry fighting 

Pair of NEZAJA BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles

NEZAJA column of armor being trailered to maneuver site

NEZAJA SBIG/DIO Hadid HM-20 122 mm MLRS

NEZAJA D-30 towed howitzer firing 122 mm artillery shell

NEZAJA D-30 122 mm towed howitzer position

NEZAJA M1954 (M-46) 130 mm towed field gun

What appear to be 122 mm artillery rounds for the D-30 howitzer

NEZAJA corporal sighting SPG-9 type variant tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 mm recoilless gun

NEZAJA second warrant officer manning DIO DShK type variant 12.7x108mm heavy machine gun

NEZAJA DIO MGA3 7.62×51mm general-purpose heavy machine gun

NEZAJA DIO 14.5mm anti-material sniper rifle

NEZAJA DIO HM-13 60 mm mortar

NEZAJA second sergeant equipped with DIO G3 battle rifle

NEZAJA third sergeant equipped with DIO G3-A3 battle rifle

NEZAJA communication team operating AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceivers

Detail of NEZAJA soldiers equipped with AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver

NEZAJA soldiers equipped with AMICO motorbike

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade, Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation

IRIAA Bell 214A Isfahan transporting counter-terrorist team from 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade

LZ practice drop for counter-terrorist team from 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade

Disembarkation from IRIAA Bell 214A Isfahan

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade counter-terrorist team practice assault

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade counter-terrorism simulation

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade member equipped with G3 battle rifle fitted with telescopic sight

NEZAJA Banihashem ATV 500 assisting counter-terrorist team from 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade

65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade platoon formation

Detail of tactical eyewear, 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy

IRINS Jamaran (76) Moudge class guided missile frigate (FFGH)

IRIN Kilo class diesel-electric submarine (SSK)

IRIN Aviation Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion (S-65C-4), serial 9-2702 (cn 65-413)

IRI Marine lieutenant before IRIN Aviation Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion

IRIN Mk 105 Magnetic Sweeper to be towed by IRIN Aviation Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion

Islamic Republic of Iran Army UAVs

Ghods Mohajer-2 reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle UAV

Ghods Mohajer-4 reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), airframe #AO41-65

Launch ramps for Ghods Mohajer type UAVs

Rocket-assisted launch of Ghods Mohajer-4 reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), airframe #AO41-65

Iran military mobile medical unit

Surgical team of an Iran military mobile medical unit

Examination section of Iran military mobile medical unit

Lab section of Iran military mobile medical unit

Dental section of Iran military mobile medical unit

VIDEOS:

Photo credits:
Mahdi Marizad at Fars News Agency
Chavosh Homavandi at Jamejam.ir
Alireza Ghaffari at AJA.ir
Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran's Population Hits 80 Million

Iran’s Population hits 80 million; with 2 million living outside the country, state news agency IRNA reported today. 70 percent of the population live in urban settings, with 30 percent in villages. 51 percent are men, 49 percent women. 55 percent of the population is under 30. 

The average size of Iranian families has dropped to 3, from 6 in mid-70s, with 33 percent of the families having no or just one child.

Photo credit: BBC

Yasir UAV in use with Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba in Iraq

Observations based on ABNA.ir photos of Iranian-built Yasir UAV claimed in use with Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (HHN): an Iraqi Shia militia allied with Iran.

IAIO Yasir UAV depicted in ABNA.ir with Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba markings

Interesting HHN workshop details, which include in background what appears to be an older model milling machine and hydraulic press. Also of note is the model-specific workshop stand for the Yasir UAV.

Yasir UAV in use with Iran-allied Shia fighting force claimed initial use at "Al-Ishaqi front lines", within Salah ad Din Governorate of Iraq.

What appears to be a Yasir UAV operator console, possessed by Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba in Iraq

Photos: ABNA.ir

Jordanian Fighter Jet Not Downed by ISIL - CENTCOM

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said today evidence clearly indicates that ISIL did not down the aircraft over Syria as the insurgent group is claiming.

“We… will not tolerate ISIL’s attempts to misrepresent or exploit this unfortunate aircraft crash for their own purposes,” said GEN Lloyd Austin, the Commander of the U.S. Central Command, who oversees all coalition military operations in Iraq and Syria. (CENTCOM, 24 December)

The Jordanian F-16 aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the northern Syrian city of Raqqah today and the pilot, identified as First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh, was taken captive by ISIL forces. CENTCOM did not say what caused the crash.

Photo credit: An image posted by ISIL showing their forces with the captured Jordanian pilot of an F-16 aircraft, now identified as First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh; Raqqa, Syria, 24 December 2014 (ISIL/AP/NYT)

ISIL shoots downs Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16 - Update

Update: United States Central Command denies cause of RJAF F-16 downing hostile fire from ISIL, in statement made without providing specifics of crash.

ISIL has claimed the successful shootdown of a U.S.-led coalition combat plane over Syria, flown by First Lieutenant Muaaz Yusuf El-Kasasbah of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), shown captured.

Aircraft type is believed to be RJAF General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon ("Viper") multirole fighter aircraft.

ISIL claims aircraft shot down with "anti-aircraft missile," possibly MANPADS. ISIL believed to have captured MANPADS from Syrian military stocks, and  also been known to acquire from Al-Nusra Front being passed on from Free Syrian Army source, originally provided through Qatari support.

RJAF First Lieutenant Muaaz Yusuf El-Kasasbah depicted at moment of capture at Hemret Ghannam, 11 km east of Al-Raqqa.

File photo of First Lieutenant Muaaz Yusuf El-Kasasbah, before RJAF General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon