Fighting flares in Kurdistan

Press, 14 August 1980, Page 6

Fighting flares in Kurdistan

NZPA-Reuter Teheran Iranian troops and Revolutionary Guards killed 145 “armed attackers” V without loss to themselves in Kurdistan at the week-end, Radio Teheran reported ; yesterday.: ’ - ■ ' ’.■’■■;' Quoting military authorities in western Iran, the radio said there had been a violent clash between Iranian forces on a clean-up in the Baneh area of attackers trying to take over the town’s barracks. In • London, “The Times” newspaper reported yesterday that it had received a message from Kurdish leaders asserting that fighting recently in the area had cost the lives of ,160 Iranian troops and . Revolutionary Guards for minimal Kurdish losses. " The message said that the Kurds, had no need of supplies of arms from- outside the country as they were well equipped with weapons “captured from Iranian barracks during the revolution or from ambushed military columns more recently.” The Kurdish leaders also said that their region was still being blockaded by the Teheran authorities and no

a medicines were available for - the sick and wounded. 5 “Until two weeks ago even t diesel fuel was not allowed - into Kurdistan, a measure 1, which damaged this year’s d harvest,” “The Times” said. The newspaper estimated ■- that about 40,000 armed men e and women had been organa ised into regular units, .- mainly by the socialist Iran nian . Kurdistan Democratic s Party, and the Maoist Koe mala. . Meanwhile a magistrate ” yesterday warned Iranian - students arrested after a a noisy demonstration outside - the American Embassy in Z London that they , might be t expelled from Britain. i The students, arrested : on / August 4, ended a hunger i strike at the week-end on condition that the Iranian a Embassy issued a statement - in which they accused the 5 police of assaulting them. ! The embassy did so on s Sunday. The Magistrate, (Mr Keni neth Harrington) told the f demonstrators: “You have made outrageous allegations 3 against the-police'without a s scrap of evidence, and I will 3 take that into account,” he 31 said.