Bidganeh explosion
Encyclopedia
Bidganeh arsenal explosion was a large explosion that occurred about 13:30 local time, 12 November 2011 in Iran
's Moddares garrison
missile base (also referred to as Shahid Modarres missile base). 17 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed in this incident, including Major General Hassan Moqaddam
, described as "a key figure in Iran's missile programme".
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard garrison is located in a village near Shahriar city (Tehran Province) about 30 miles to the east of Iran's capital of Tehran
. Residents of Karaj
heard the sound of the explosion and breaking glass buildings that were near the scene. Initial reports indicated that the explosion happened at a CNG
station, but this was later denied. Revolutionary Guard officials stated the accident occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions. Officials have denied the possibility of any foreign sabotage in the explosion despite the "fivefold increase in explosions" since 2010 at Iranian refineries and gas pipelines reported by "industry experts".
According to CNN
, senior defense officials indicated that the United States
believed the explosion was an industrial accident which took place while mixing volatile fuel for a large ballistic missile. Commercial satellite imagery captured on November 22 showed extensive damage at the military base and some buildings appeared to have been completely destroyed.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Moddares garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
missile base (also referred to as Shahid Modarres missile base). 17 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed in this incident, including Major General Hassan Moqaddam
Tehrani Moqaddam
General Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam was an engineer in the "who has been described as the chief of Iran’s ballistic missile program," and "a top Iranian missile commander." He was killed in an explosion at a Revolutionary Guard depot about 25 miles west of Iran's capital, Tehran, that killed 16 others...
, described as "a key figure in Iran's missile programme".
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard garrison is located in a village near Shahriar city (Tehran Province) about 30 miles to the east of Iran's capital of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. Residents of Karaj
Karaj
Karaj is a city in and the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,377,450, in 385,955 families, , making it the fifth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz.) It is situated west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborz...
heard the sound of the explosion and breaking glass buildings that were near the scene. Initial reports indicated that the explosion happened at a CNG
CNG
CNG can mean:*Compressed natural gas, e.g., CNG vehicles*Connecticut Natural Gas* Cypriot National Guard, the combined arms force of the Republic of Cyprus*Chinese National Geography, magazine published in China...
station, but this was later denied. Revolutionary Guard officials stated the accident occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions. Officials have denied the possibility of any foreign sabotage in the explosion despite the "fivefold increase in explosions" since 2010 at Iranian refineries and gas pipelines reported by "industry experts".
According to CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, senior defense officials indicated that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
believed the explosion was an industrial accident which took place while mixing volatile fuel for a large ballistic missile. Commercial satellite imagery captured on November 22 showed extensive damage at the military base and some buildings appeared to have been completely destroyed.