Iranian army holds 3-day drill

TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Army's Ground Force started a three-day drill in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan on Saturday, official news agency IRNA reported Sunday.

The drill, titled the Battalion's Role Model in Piranshahr County, is aimed at assessing and displaying the combat capabilities of the Iranian Army's Ground Force, IRNA quoted Hamid Firouzjaei, commander of the force's 164th mobile assault battalion, as saying.

Operations such as heliborne parachute, overnight raids, helicopter combat, control of communication roads, capture of heights and urban warfare will be carried out during the drill, said Firouzjaei, adding organizational, light, semi-heavy and heavy weapons will be used.

In September, the Iranian Army's Ground Force staged two-day military exercises in the central province of Isfahan to assess its preparedness in the face of new threats.