Many Commanders and All Members of the Leadership Protection Battalion Killed in Air Crash - 2003-02-20

Many commanders and all members of the Leadership Protection Battalion, who had gone to Zabol to protect the life of Ayatollah Khamenei, were killed in an air crash while returning. Ayatollah Khamenei, who was supposed to travel to Sistan and Baluchestan, apparently canceled or postponed his trip to the region. The reasons for the delay of this trip, which was supposed to take place this week, are unknown. Recently, there have been severe clashes between police forces and Baluchis in various parts of Baluchestan, including Nikshahr, Iranshahr, and Khash, resulting in numerous casualties among both Baluchis and Islamic Republic law enforcement officers. The most intense of these clashes occurred in an area called Kopch, part of Nikshahr, where regime armed forces attacked residential areas with tanks and heavy weapons, leading to a bloody struggle that lasted five hours, resulting in many casualties among both Islamic Republic law enforcement officers and Baluchis. The aircraft carrying the commanders and members of the Leadership Protection Battalion, which was en route from Zabol to Tehran, requested to land at Kerman Airport due to adverse weather conditions after half an hour of flight while over the Shahdad area. Shahdad is located northeast of Kerman. Immediately after contacting the Kerman Airport control tower, the aircraft, which belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force and was of the Ilyushin type and made in Russia, crashed in an area between Shahdad and Sirj, killing all on board. Iranian television also reported, citing official sources, that the passengers of the aircraft were dispatched for an important mission to Sistan and Baluchestan. Official sources also reported that several high-ranking IRGC officers were among the passengers. More than 280 commanders and members of the Leadership Protection Battalion, along with 18 crew members of the aircraft, lost their lives in this incident. The Islamic Republic's sources have provided conflicting reports regarding the passengers of this aircraft. Initially, it was announced that the guards belonged to the Imam Khomeini Battalion. It was then stated that this battalion belonged to the Tharallah Division of Zabol.