TEHRAN -- Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic Army Brigadier General Nasser Mohammadifar said here Saturday that Iran extends message of peace and friendship to all friendly and neighboring countries.

Mohammadifar said however, it is not acceptable that enemies of the system and the counterrevolutionaries or agents of hypocrites use territories of certain countries and launch attacks on Iran's territories and threaten the security of its borders and people.

Speaking after inspecting the army's defense and combat installations in the western and southern zones, the commander said that such countries cannot be Iran's friends.

He called on the forces under his command to remain vigilant and alert against mischiefs and plots of the enemies of the Islamic Republic.

He said the thousands of kilometers of borderline and enemy conspiracies, prompt the army to raise its combat readiness so as not to let the enemy have any covetous eye to even an inch of the country's territory.

He added that thanks to special operation groups set up at the army, hundreds of the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization's (MKO) mercenaries, counterrevolutionaries and border aggressors were killed in the last Iranian year (March 20, 2000-March 20, 2001).

The commander said since the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the new Iranian year, five desert operations have been staged every night. These operations, he said, feature mobile air operations in overnight tactical flights.

He said that soon, the project for dispatch of data on high frequency bands will be operational to control command in high range communications.

The army commander added that important telecommunication projects had been tested by Iranian experts in the northwest of the country and they will soon become operational in bases on the western and southern borders.

The military official said dozens of desert operations with minimum casualties and new records achieved in staff training were all aimed at ensuring public welfare.

Mohammadifar said that despite 23 years of presence in operation zones and border lines and martyrdom and injury of hundreds of its forces, the army stands undeterred in fulfilling its missions, including defusing the mines in the region.

He said that the number of combatant engineering battalions had been raised to 10 in the western and southern regions of the country.

Forces under his command, he declared, were engaged in defusing mines in the western and southern parts of the country.

Mohammadifar said the ground forces are also aiming to produce armor and flight simulators and fire control systems. It plans mass-production of Babr-400' (Tiger-400) tank carriers, design and build a variety of military vehicles and modernize 300 personnel carriers and tanks, he said.