International Rhodesian forces mount big drive into Mozambique

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 8

International Rhodesian forces mount big drive into Mozambique

NZPA-Reuter

Salisbury

Rhodesian troops are believed to be continuing an attack against a black nationalist guerrilla base inside neighbouring Mozambique amid speculation that the security forces have mounted a big and prolonged assault against such bases.

Security headquarters in Salisbury announced that ati !least 20 guerrillas had been! : killed in the raid on Sunday on _what it suggested was al major administrative base,! [some skm (three miles) inside Mozambique. It added that further operations were continuing and when there was no further word by late Sunday evening, speculation mounted that Rhodesian forces had launched a prolonged operation against the bases, used by guerrillas for their raids into Rhodesia in the escalating war with the whiteminority Government. Hours of silence followed the Sunday lunch-time communique announcing that as a result of increasing guerrilla activity in the south-west border region, Rhodesian forces had pur-

i sued a gang back into Moz-j :jembique and over-run a well-' i established base there. ■j “A large quantity of war ■ (materials were found, thus , substantiating reports of a • major administrative base in that area,” it said. In the biggest previous ■ attack across the border, ■ in August last year, the Rhodesians claimed to have . wiped out some 300 guerrillas. Reports from Mozambique said that up to 1000 ; people were killed, mostly ; unarmed refugees including many women and children. In November, Rhodesian troops launched what they called a pre-emptive strike across the border further ; north in which huge amounts of war materials were said to j : have been destroyed. On each occasion there; 1 iwere retaliatory raids against!

[the rebel British colony. (Security along the Rhodesian border on Sunday night was ■ doubly stringent" in case of i attacks after the latest Rhodesian operation. On the political scene, the Anglo-American team seeking a new formula for a handover to black rule in Rhodesia moved on to Maputo, Mozambique, on Sunday after three days of talks in Salisbury. Mr John Graham, a British Foreign Office envoy, and Mr Stephen Low, United States Ambassador to Zambia, were planning to ; meet the nationalist leader, Mr Robert Mugabe and then i fly on to Lusaka to talk with his colleague. Mr Joshua Nkomo. The two nationalists (lead the Patriotic Front I which is master-minding the (guerrilla war.