IRAN RELEASES PICTURES OF DOWNED ISRAELI 'HERMES' DRONE

Tehran, 30 Syawwal 1435/26 August 2014 (mirajnews.com) –The Israeli spy drone shot down by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is an Israeli-made Hermes drone, says an Iranian commander.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can operate within a radius of 800 kilometers and is capable of flying 1,600 kilometers without refueling, said Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh on Monday

The Israeli UAV is equipped with two cameras, enabling the espionage aircraft to capture high-quality images, added the top general, according to Press TV report quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Earlier on Monday, the IRGC released the first pictures of the downed spy drone.

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The IRGC said in a statement on Sunday that its forces had intercepted and brought down an Israeli spy drone which was heading to Natanz nuclear facility in the central Iranian province of Isfahan.

The stealth spy drone was targeted by a surface-to-air missile before it reached the strategic location, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Head of the IRGC Public Relations Department Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif also said on Monday that some parts of the Israeli spy drone were found intact.

According to Sharif, Iranian military experts are currently analyzing the remaining components of the aircraft to extract any data stored on its system.

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On Sunday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan warned that the Islamic Republic would give a crushing response to any enemy aggression against Iranian soil. (T/P3/P2)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).