Iran's IRGC to stage drills next week

Basij militia force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) will stage two-day drills in Iran's northwestern province of West Azerbaijan next week, a senior military commander was quoted as saying by semi-official Fars news agency on Saturday. "The wargames will be staged concurrently in all towns of West Azerbaijan on Feb. 20 and 21," Lieutenant Commander of the IRGC for the operations, Karim Alinejad, told Fars. Battalions consisting of male and female members of Basij force will take part in the drills, Alinejad said, adding that clergymen and athletes are among the battalions. The maneuvers by the IRGC will go ahead as planned in the current Iranian year which ends on March 20, the IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily on Saturday. The maneuvers by the IRGC and Basij are intended to maintain and improve the country's defensive preparedness, according to the report. Earlier, local media claimed that the administration of President Hassan Rouhani has halted the scheduled military drills in current Iranian calendar.