Smith raid ‘killed 100 unarmed girls’

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 8

Smith raid ‘killed 100 unarmed girls’

NZPA-ReuterLusaka, Zambia The Rhodesian nationalist leader, Mr Joshua Nkomo, has accused Rhodesian troops of killing more than 100 unarmed girls in their latest raid on his camps in Zambia Speaking at a press conference, he said about 110 girls had been killed at a Zimbabwe African Peoples Union camp at Mkushi, 150 km north-east of Lusaka. Of 1633 people in the camp at the time — only 34 of them men — 192 had not been accounted for, and 90 were in hospital. Mr Nkomo said that despite Rhodesian claims to the contrary, some Rhodesian troops were still in Zambia “licking their wounds”, after clashes with Z.A.P.U. guerrillas at other, unidentified camps. These were believed to be

farther south in the region of Rufunsan, 150 km east of the Zambian capital, informed sources said. Mr Nkomo said the girls had been eating a meal when the attack began. Rhodesian troops had forced one girl to signal others who had been in hiding to return to the camp, then had mown down about 80 of them who had answered the signal. Mr Nkomo said 30 other girls had been hiding in a shelter, and the Rhosesians had tossed in grenades to kill them all. Mr Nkomo also said his forces had brought down one Canberra bomber and a transport plane, making a total of nine aircraft claimed destroyed so far. Since the Rhodesian attacks began last Thursday, the total death toll acknowledged in Zambia is 336 dead, 192 missing, and about 600 injured.