IRGC DEPUTY NAVY COMMANDER ASSASSINATED IN SOUTH IRAN

IRGC DEPUTY NAVY COMMANDER ASSASSINATED IN SOUTH IRAN TEHRAN, MAY 31 (KUNA) -- A SENIOR COMMANDER OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS (IRGC) NAVY AND WAR VETERAN WAS ASSASSINATED MONDAY NIGHT IN SOUTH IRAN, THE PRESS REPORTED WEDNESDAY.
SECOND ADMIRAL ABDULLAH ROUDAKI WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY A RELATIVE OF A MEMBER OF THE BANNED OPPOSITION GROUP, THE MUJAHIDEEN KHALQ ORGANIZATION, NEWSPAPERS QUOTED A STATEMENT OF THE ELITE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS AS SAYING.
MOHAMMAD ANSARI, 60 FIRED TWO BULLETS AT ROUDAKI'S HEAD FROM A HUNTING RIFLE IN THE CITY OF ABKHOSH' NEAR SHIRAZ, 895 KM. SOUTH OF TEHRAN. THE ASSAILANT LATER SURRENDERED TO POLICE.
NEWSPAPERS SAID ANSARI IS A RETIREE OF THE AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION. TWO OF HIS SONS HAVE FLED TO IRAQ AND COOPERATE WITH THE BANNED MKO.
ROUDAKI WAS DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE IRGC NAVY AND AMONG THE TOP COMMANDERS OF THE 1980-88 IRAN-IRAQ WAR.
HE HAD A "SHINING RECORD OF PLANNING AND DIRECTING LAND AND SEA MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE BA'ATHIST AGGRESSORS," THE IRGC STATEMENT ADDED.
AN ACTIVE OPPONENT OF THE FORMER PAHLAVI MONARCHY, ROUDAKI PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF THE IRGC NAVY.
THE IRAQI-ARMED AND FUNDED MKO HAS RECENTLY STEPPED UP ITS CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS AND RAIDS INSIDE CITES. MONDAY MIDNIGHT THE REBEL GROUP FIRED FOUR MORTAR SHELLS NEAR EAST TEHRAN WHERE A GARRISON OF THE IRGC IS SAID TO BE LOCATED. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF CASUALTIES. (END) AS.MAB KUNA 311019 May 00NNNN