Russian diplomats in firing line

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 8

Russian diplomats in firing line

NZPA-Reuter Nicosia

Iran and Iraq have launched some of their fiercest missile barrages so far in la deadly longrange “war of the cities” that looks set to enter a second week today.. Thousands of protesters gathered at the Russian Embassy in j Teheran, accusing the Soviet Union of supplying missiles to Bagdad, j

The Soviet news agency, Tass, said demonstrators threw;stones and incendiary devices and the rally threatened the lives of Embassy staff and their families.) ; Moscow, which says it has not isupplied either side with weapons to use against civilians, formally protested to Iran. Iraq fired ; five more missiles 'at Teheran on Sunday while its air force bombed 12 other Iranian towns and cities.

’ Bagdad has; now reported firing ■ 38 missiles at Teheran since the two resumed i the “war of the cities” last Tuesday. Iran says it has i fired 16 at Bagdad. | ' j An Iraqi j military spokesman said the attacks would continue “so long as; Iran insists on rejecting the United Nations Security Council resolution ordering a ceasefire in the Gulf War and continues to bombard Iraqi cities.” The spokesman said an unspecified number of Iraqis were killed or wounded in |an Iranian

missile attack on Bagdad, in an. air raid on the northern town of Arbil and in shelling of the'city of Basra )a'nd several towns on the i border. ■ Teheran I Radio confirmed that; several missiles -landed on | the Iranian capital on Sunday afternoon but had no information about damage or casualties) It said noone was when, another rocket hit a residential area at dawn.

The in Nicosia, saildi Iranian warplanes bombed military and economic targets in northern Iraq and )lraqi troop positions on) the south-central warfronts. It said Iraqi jets killed or wounded several people in. [raids on 14 western I central .Iranian cities —. the highest number of [cities hit in one day for months. Iranian jets shot )down an Iraqi [warplane [ over western Irah, and another one was brought down by Iranian ground fire, it said. ! | [ The radio said Iranian leaders rhlet to discuss ways to confront the missile An Iranian missile landed in j a residential area of Bagdad on Sunday night, the Iraqi ) news agency, )INA, reported, quoting a military spokesman as I saying that it "caused [the martyrdom and wounding of a number of civilians, including women and children,” as well as [destroying property. II; i