TEHRAN: The Quds Force of the elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), responsible for Iran's controversial operations abroad, is increasingly using drones as the main means for carrying out air strikes and supplying proxies, an exiled opposition group said on Wednesday. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said the drones were being manufactured at eight plants in Iran, sometimes using materials smuggled from abroad, and then sent to countries like Iraq and Syria, where they are assembled and then deployed. It said that to produce the drones, Iran has been smuggling some main parts, such as engines and electronic components from China, as well as raw materials from Turkey and South Korea. The Quds Force brings members of pro-Iran proxy militias abroad to Iran for training in the use of drones. It said in the Syria conflict, where Iran has intervened to bolster the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the IRGC has "consistently" used drones to identify and attack Syrian opposition forces.

Source: Manila Times October 07, 2021 16:59 UTC