TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -- The statue of the pilot martyr Ali Akbar Shiroudi was uncovered on Thursday in a ceremony attended by a group of military officials, writers, and local authorities at Sarpol-e Zahab, where he was martyred in a military mission during the sacred defense.

Reminding us of the martyrs of the eight year war, head of the Foundation for Publication and Preservation of the Sacred Defense Values Brigadier General Alireza Afshar, praised the great acts of bravery and valor of General Ali Akbar Shiroudi. The Public Relations Department of the foundation reported on Thursday what Afshar stated, “The design and foundation of the statue is a way to honor and represent martyrs of the war such as martyr Shiroudi and refresh the memory of their acts of bravery.” On the construction of the statue he said, “The statue is an essential thing, but to mention and explain the character of martyrs to people, especially the youth, is a must…. Three thousand locations have been identified to symbolize their resistance and bravery. We have chosen approximately 400 of these locations as priority memorial locations.” The brigadier general stated that 45 memorial projects have been completed and foundation activities are being continued at other locations. He added that Shalamcheh, Talaiyyeh, Sarpol-e Zahab, Qasr-e Shirin, and Fakkeh were the major targets of enemy attacks on our country, while “All these locations and anywhere that was a battlefield are all part of the 8-year sacred defense natural museum.”

Afshar also thanked the writers and scholars of the sacred defense literature for being present in the war zones and insisted that the events of the war must be recorded and preserved to make the younger generation acquainted with that period.