Smart-bomb Equipped Iranian Drones Struck ISIS 700 Times in Syria

Iran has conducted 700 drone strikes dropping smart-bombs against Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, its aerospace chief told Fars News Agency on Tuesday.

"Our bomber drones have carried out 700 military operations using smart bombs against Daesh (Arabic name for IS)," said Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, aerospace chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Fars reported.

Iranian says its ‘advisors’ are based in Syria at the invitation of the Syrian regime. This is the first time it has acknowledged offensive activity in the Syrian war.

"They were used in eliminating tanks, personnel carriers, cars used for suicide attacks and 23- millimetre cannons. We significantly turned the tide of battle," he added.

The guards most recently used military drones against IS targets in Syria on October 1, in retaliation for a deadly attack in September on a military parade in Iran's southwest claimed by the militant group.

Seven military drones, as well as six ballistic missiles, struck the "IS headquarters" in the eastern Syrian town of Hajin, about 24 kilometres (15 miles) north of Albu Kamal bordering Iraq, state TV reported. Iranian media said published images indicated the drones were locally-produced "Saegheh" craft.

The Saegheh is believed by Western analysts to be reverse-engineered from a US RQ-170 Sentinel captured by Iran in 2011.

Iran claims it has developed a variety of drones including attack, reconnaissance and long range ‘loitering’ drones.