Helicopter carrying Iranian president crashes

KABUL (Pajhwok): Helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raesi and some top government officials has crashed in the country’s northwestern mountainous region on Sunday, according to Iranian media reports.

An extensive search and rescue operation was underway after a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was forced to make a “hard landing”, IRNA reported.

The incident happened on Sunday in Dizmar forest between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in East Azarbaijan province as the president was returning from an event to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Local residents told IRNA’s reporter that they heard “sounds” in the region a while ago.

More than twenty fully-equipped search and rescue teams, including drones and sniffer dogs, have been dispatched to the area.

The Iranian Armed Forces have also deployed commando units and Special Forces to assist in the search operation.

Due to the rugged terrain of the region and the difficult weather conditions, particularly the thick fog in the area, the search and rescue operation could take some time, IRNA’s reporter said.

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