News / Politics

Quadcopter shot at in central Tehran: Air defense official

Monday, 16 January 2017 3:15 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 16 January 2017 5:49 PM ]

Iranian Air Defense Forces identify and sho0t at an unmanned aerial vehicle that had neared a no-fly zone in central Tehran on January 16, 2017. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

Iranian Air Defense Forces have identified and shot at an unmanned aerial vehicle that had neared a no-fly zone in central Tehran, an army official says.

“This afternoon, a quadcopter that was approaching the no-fly zone in Tehran from the Valiasr Square district was identified,” an official with Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base told Tasnim news agency on Monday.

He added that it was as of yet unclear who owned the drone. “But, because the drone had approached the no-fly zone region, it was shot at with the timely vigilance of the Army’s Air Defense Base,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base for operations, Alireza Elhami, said the quadcopter entered the no-fly zone in central Tehran and the base did its routine task. “After initial shots at the flying [object], it left the area and went away,” he added.

He said the base’s forces stopped firing at the flying object because safety of residential areas must also be observed and “everything is calm now.”

"What we witnessed was not regarded as a specific threat,” Elhami said, reiterating full alertness of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base forces to counter any challenge.

On December 23, 2016, Iranian Air Defense Forces shot down a flying object which was being operated by a film crew in central Tehran, recording aerial footage for a documentary for state television. The flying object had reportedly entered the no-fly zone in central Tehran by accident.

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