The extensive exercise, codenamed Sahand-205 and hosted by the IRGC Ground Force, kicked off in the operational area of the Imam Zaman Mechanized Brigade in Shabestar County on Monday, and is scheduled to wrap up on December 5.
Colonel Shahram Askariyan, deputy head of the Public Relations Department of the IRGC Ground Force, said the five-day drill has been organized in accordance with directives from the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Executive Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS).
He said the counter-terrorism exercise holds special strategic importance as it seeks to enhance regional security cooperation.
Askariyan highlighted Iran’s long-standing record in combating terrorism, saying the Islamic Republic has consistently been at the forefront of the fight against terrorist groups.
More than 17,000 Iranian citizens, including women and children, have been killed in terrorist attacks over the past years, he said.
The SCO, which has its headquarters in China, is the world's largest regional organization in terms of area and population.
It has nine member states, namely, Iran, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
In July 2023, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization officially approved Iran's full-fledged membership in the organization.
The SCO is one of the world’s largest regional organizations, accounting for around one-third of the global gross domestic product (GDP), roughly 40 percent of the world’s population, and nearly two-thirds of the entire Eurasian landmass.
Press TV