Iran dispatches volunteers to war

Press, 26 February 1986, Page 10

Iran dispatches volunteers to war

NZPA-Reuter Manama, Bahrain Iran yesterday rushed volunteers to reinforce troops defending captured territory in southern Iraq, and Iraq reported slow advances for its counterattacking forces. Iraq said its navy had attacked two ships near Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal, in the northern Gulf. Iran said it had shot down an Iraqi helicopter that had slightly damaged a 240,000-ton Cypriot tanker.

There was no independent confirmation of any attacks on shipping. Gulf

sources said that a Cypriot tanker of the same tonnage ran Iran’s crude oil shuttle from Kharg to Sirri Island, farther south. Iran said its troops had wiped out two Iraqi infantry battalions attacking its frontlines north of the disused Iraqi oil port of Faw, which Iran captured early in its offensive into southern Iraq. Iraq’s official news agency, meanwhile, said Iraqi forces at the centre of Iraq’s three-pronged counter-attack had made more headway, but indicated less progress on the two other fronts.

Columns driving on Faw down the Shaft alArab waterway and along the Gulf coast were hammering the Iranians with air, missile and artillery bombardments, the Iraqi News Agency said. It made no mention of territorial gains on these fronts.

The head of Iran’s war volunteer (Basij) organisation called for warexperienced Basijis to report for duty and said brigades of volunteers had already left for the front from 25 cities, towns and villages.