Monday, January 9 2006 18:03 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tehran: Commander of Iran's elite ground forces Revolutionary Guards was among 13 people killed when a small military aircraft carrying them crashed in the country's north today (Juan 9, 2006).

The small Falcon jet belonging to elite Revolutionary Guards was attempting an emergency landing when it crashed near Oroumjeh, 600 kms northwest of the Iranian capital, official media reported.

Iranian news agency IRNA said commander of artillery unit Ghukam-Reza Yazdani and commander of Ground Forces Ahmad Kazemi were among those killed.

It was the second time in two months that a plane has crashed in the country. In December, 115 people were killed when a military transport plane crashed into a multi-storey apartment building near Tehran's Mehrabad airport.

Deputy Government spokesman Mohammad Paryab said the Government will launch an investigation into the causes behind the crash of the military plane.