Friday April 19, 2024
Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency is reporting that the central city of Isfahan is “completely calm and secure”, hours after reported explosions near the city’s airport.
“People are going on with their normal lives,” according to the live television report, which showed the early morning traffic in the city’s main intersection.
The report, however, said that “sounds were heard over the city” in Isfahan hours earlier, adding that “several miniature UAVs were shot down”.
Iranian state media downplaying incident
According to state TV, three small unknown flying objects were intercepted near the city of Isfahan just after 4am local time (00:30 GMT).
The Iranian air defence systems were able to intercept and destroy these flying objects, state TV said.
The location in Isfahan province is an Iranian military airbase that belongs to the country’s army, and not the Revolutionary Guards. I think it’s important to highlight that.
This base houses multiple squadrons of F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft. This facility is also located near the Isfahan airport and as a result of all this the officials have now cleared the Iranian skies. Flights have been cancelled.
We also understand that the air defence systems over the city of Tabriz in the northwestern part of Iran were also activated.
Explosions at military-linked sites in Syria
Iran’s official IRNA news agency has said a series of explosions in Syria targeted military sites.
IRNA said attacks struck Adra and al-Thala military airport and a radar battalion located between the city of Adra and the village of Qarfa in southern Syria.
In Iraq, meanwhile, explosions were reported in the al-Imam area of Babel.