Iran’s Army Steps Up Border Presence, Offers Services for Arbaeen Pilgrims

Iran’s Army has dispatched combat and civilian service units to the country’s common border with Iraq in order to ensure the security of Arbaeen pilgrims and provide them with a range of services, a commander said.

In comments on Monday, the deputy commander of the Army’s Western Base said “rapid reaction and modern warfare units” have been deployed to the western border to deal with any possible threat during the Arbaeen season, when a large number of Iranian pilgrims travel to Iraq to participate in rituals commemorating the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).

General Javad Mowlaee also pointed to the civilian services that Army units are providing for the pilgrims, saying the Army has set up a field hospital at the Mehran border crossing that includes various medical units such as an intensive care unit (ICU) and a surgery unit.

The Army’s Western Base has also set up two pavilions and two cookhouses in the Mehran border region to provide services for the pilgrims, he added.

Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam.

Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.

This year’s Arbaeen falls on October 30.