BAGHDAD — The self-proclaimed Islamic State group has claimed the killing of a senior Iranian officer advising Iraqi forces in their fight against the militants, according to images posted on militant forums on Monday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Sunday announced the death of Brigadier General Hamid Taghavi, who had been training the army and Iraqi volunteers in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad.



One forum posted an image of the officer standing next to three others, with a red circle around his head above the caption: “A photo of the miscreant Hamid Taghavi who was killed by the men of IS in the region of Samarra.” Another image on the forum purportedly showed the body of the Iranian officer. IS has not said how Taghavi died, but his funeral was held in Tehran on Monday in the presence of several senior officials. Iran has sent military advisers to Iraq to help train and equip army troops and allied militias in their counteroffensive against IS. It has also armed Kurdish forces in northern Iraq and Iranian media have reported the deaths of several military personnel in both Iraq and Syria this year. — AFP