Iranian commander: All missiles fired at Daesh hit their targets

Frame grab from broadcast footage shows the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps firing a ballistic missile against Takfiri targets in eastern Syria on June 18, 2017.

A senior commander with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says Iranian missiles recently fired at Daesh in Syria all hit their designated targets.

Last Sunday, the IRGC fired six medium-range ballistic missiles at Daesh targets in northeastern Dayr al-Zawr Province in response to a June 7 terrorist attack in Tehran, which killed 18 people.

Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division Brig. Gen. Amir-Ali Hajizadeh on Saturday dismissed Israeli reports that some of the projectiles had fallen short of their targets and landed in Iraq.

He said what is being claimed in "Zionist circles" is in fact the detachable bodies of the missiles which had been programmed to fall in Iraqi territory. 

“All the missiles successfully struck their targets and in this regard, we released videos recorded by unmanned aircraft,” Hajizadeh added. 

Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division Brig. Gen. Amir-Ali Hajizadeh 

The commander said the attacks had inflicted "tremendous damage" on the terrorists, adding Iran had got new information in this regard which would be released soon. 

The IRGC has said the missiles killed more than 170 Takfiri terrorists, including a number of commanders and senior elements, and inflicted heavy damage on their equipment and systems.

"It is interesting to know that four minutes after the first missile struck, American planes immediately flew over the area - after being informed by our allies, possibly the Russians - indicating that the operation had been accomplished," Hajizadeh said.

According to the commander, one of the missiles caused a huge fire which surprised Iranian commanders.

"The next days we realized that a 28,000-liter gasoline tanker had been parked at the Daesh headquarters, causing the fire to spread," he said.

"When thinking why these Daesh terrorists had to die in agony, I remembered the Jordanian pilot who was burnt alive in a cage," Hajizadeh said.

He was referring to a Daesh video released in February 2015, appearing to show Mouath al-Kasaesbeh who was captured after his F-16 crashed in Syria.

The missiles were the first launched from Iran at targets outside the country, drawing enormous international attention. The strike came shortly after Daesh terrorists carried out simultaneous attacks on the parliament building and the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini in Tehran. 

Hajizadeh said, "We did a duty, and our intention was to take revenge on behalf of the whole nation of Iran against Takfiri terrorists over their evil acts."

The attack, he added, also carried a message for the sponsors of terrorists in the region. 

IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said on Wednesday Iran's next "crushing response” to potential enemy missteps had already been worked out. 

"Whether the missile attacks will recur or not depends on the enemies’ behavior. Proportionate to what they may do, a crushing response has been planned, and will be delivered,” he said.