Iran, Iraq Start ’Eqtedar’ Joint Military Drills
Local Editor
Iran and Iraq started out joint military maneuvers in the Islamic Republic's west and northwest to practice providing security for their common borders on Monday.
The drills, codenamed Eqtedar [Power], recruit armored, artillery, and infantry units, as well as the drone and helicopter squadrons of the Ground Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC], and some units enlisted with the Iraqi army, ISNA reported.
The exercises span the borders of Iran's West Azarbaijan and Kordestan Provinces.
Speaking on the drills' sidelines, the IRGC's Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said, "Facing common enemies, Iran and Iraq consider ensuring the security of their long borders against threats to be a perpetual and common necessity."
The exercises feature joint operations aimed at guaranteeing the security of common borders, he added.
Pakpour said that during the exercises, the integration of the popular, military, and security intelligence nexuses was being drilled.
Additionally, Commander of the Army Ground Force Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari said the war game is aimed at evaluating the mobility and preparedness of the Iranian soldiers.
Iraq's central government had said it would seek the assistance of Iran and Turkey to secure its borders. It made the announcement after its northern Kurdistan region held an unconstitutional referendum to break away from the Arab country last Monday and local Kurdistan authorities refused to cede the control of border crossings and airports to Baghdad as they had been ordered.
The Iraqi military also held a joint drill with Turkish troops on their borders last week.
Also last week, Iran's Air Defense deployed additional missile equipment to the western areas to strengthen coverage of the border regions.
The dispatch of missiles coincided with the military drills that the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] staged along the country's western border areas.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
