IRGC response to any military act will be crushing: Iranian commander

TEHRAN, Feb. 6 (MNA) –The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ response to any possible military attack against Iran will be “crushing and offensive”, the IRGC Ground Forces commander warned on Sunday. Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour made the remarks on Sunday, concurrent with the beginning of the main stage of the war games, entitled Supporters of Velayat, in south Iran. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not start any war, but our response will be crushing and offensive. Sepah ground troops are able to carry out deterring operations, and our reaction will be quick, and enemy targets will come under heavy (fire),” Pakpour explained. IRGC ground troops started the Supporters of Velayat war games on Saturday. Pakpour said that the purpose of the maneuvers is to enhance IRGC units’ military prowess in order to repel any possible attacks, adding that part of capabilities and innovations of IRGC ground troops will be put on display during the war games. He went on to say that IRGC commandoes will practice tactics of asymmetric warfare and IRGC intelligence and combat units will practice protecting the country’s security in various situations. Heliborne troops will do parachute jumps and commandoes will lie in ambush to raid mechanized and cavalry units of the mock enemy, he said. The deputy commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, Brigadier General Abdollah Araqi, also said on Sunday that IRGC’s new and modern military equipment will be tested during the exercises and the fortifications which have been designed and built by innovative Iranian engineers will be displayed. He also said that airborne troops and commandoes will practice spreading out across the theater of operation in a way that will not be detected even by the most advanced sighting devices.