Tasnim � The 4th edition of Military Medicine Congress in Asia-Pacific Region began in Tehran on Saturday.

The conference, which will run through October 15, is attended by military commanders and delegations from 45 countries.

Iran took the rotating presidency of the biennial congress.

Top Iranian commanders and the country�s Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi took part in the event.

Addressing the audience on Saturday morning, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said Iran practically realized the significance of military medicine by saving the lives of 554,000 soldiers and victims of chemical attacks in 50 military hospitals during the Iraqi imposed war in the 1980s.

Military medicine and medical staff are a reliable reserve in tough conditions and natural disasters, the commander added.

Major General Baqeri further took a swipe at the Zionist regime of Israel and Saudi Arabia for their crimes in Palestine and Yemen, saying those regimes are committing crimes on a large scale by attacking hospitals and medical centers.

Deploring the spread of terrorist groups in the region that have killed and injured a huge number of civilians, the top commander expressed hope that the ongoing congress would uphold collective action against such crimes.