Iran shoots at unidentified drone hovering over capital

An unidentified UAV approaches the no-fly zone in Iran's capital on Monday and was fired at. Iranian sources claim it was not a military drone.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JANUARY 16, 2017 16:45
Drone (illustrative) (photo credit: REUTERS)
Drone (illustrative)
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Witnesses in the western part of the Iranian capital attested to hearing multiple anti-air canon shots fired from several air defense units earlier on Monday.
According to different reports, the anti-air canons were deployed at an unmanned aerial vehicle that was hovering in the no-fly zone of Tehran.
The canons were activated from within Tehran University and several other units in western and southwestern Tehran.
Tehran's Governor Issa Farhadi confirmed that the UAV was flying in the no-fly zones in Tehran. "It is not yet clear to whom the UAV belonged, but it wasn’t a military drone and was a quadcopter."
Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Lieutenant Commander General Alireza Elhami said that a very light hellicam came under fire by the anti-air defense units in western Tehran and was forced to leave the No-Fly zone after several warning shots.
The incident today came after a similar development last month when Iran's air defense units shot down a drone in central Tehran as it approached dangerously close to the president's offices, but the unmanned aircraft later appeared to have been operated by a film crew shooting aerial footage for a documentary.
Residents in central Tehran reported on social media that they heard loud gunfire and an explosion.
News agencies in Iran quoted unnamed sources as saying that the drone that was shot down last month "approached the no-fly zone" near the office of the supreme leader.
Reuters contributed to this report.


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