U.S. shells Iranians in Gulf flare-up

Press, 23 September 1987, Page 1

U.S. shells Iranians in Gulf flare-up

NZPA-Reuter Washington A United States military boarding party found dead and wounded Iranian sailors and 18 mines aboard a cargo ship after a United States helicopter attack set the vessel ablaze, the Defence Department said last evening. Four sailors were found dead, four were wounded, and 10 were taken to a United States ship where two were treated for serious wounds. The department would not say whether the Iranians were being held prisoner. The Pentagon said the vessel was attacked early yesterday with rockets and machine-gun fire after it was spotted laying mines in the Gulf.

Iran said the attacked vessel was a cargo ship with no military equipment aboard.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Commander Robert Prucha, said the vessel was boarded about five hours after the attack.

“The boarding party found four dead Iranian crew members and 10 mines on board,” he said.

Remaining Iranian crew members had abandoned the vessel. The 10 sailors were found in a lifeboat. “Four were wounded. All personnel were taken to U.S.S. LaSalle, the Middle-East Force flagship, where the wounded received medical treatment.”

The two seriously wounded crewmen were taken to U.S.S. Guadalcanal for further treatment

Commander Prucha said he did not know whether more Iranians would be found later aboard the attacked ship.

It was the first time since the United States Navy started two months ago escorting Kuwaiti tankers flying the American flag through the Gulf that American forces have fired on and hit an Iranian ship. Another Pentagon spokesman, Fred Hoffman, said the attack occurred about 90 kilometres east-north-east of Bahrain and 90km north of Qatar as the Iranian vessel dumped mines over the side. Hours before the attack, shipping sources reported that missiles fired from an Iranian gunboat set the British tanker Gentle Breeze, aflame. One crewman was reported missing.

A White House spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, said Washington had warned Iran against “such provocative acts which present an immediate risk” to United States and other ships in international waters in the Gulf. “United States forces acted in a defensive manner and in accordance with existing rules of engagement,” he said.

Further reports, page 10