THREE-PRONGED DRIVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 11 December 1946, Page 5

THREE-PRONGED DRIVE

GOVT. TROOPS IN AZERBAIJAN

KURDISTAN TOWNS CAPTURED “ARMED TEST OF SOVIET INFLUENCE” (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (11 a.m.) LONDON, December 10. , According to the British United Press correspondent, war has broken out in Azerbaijan. The Chief of the Persian General Staff told a correspondent that the central Government’s troops launched an offensive against the Azerbaijan Tudeh Party forces to-day. The attack was made from Zenjan towards Mianeh. This morning another Persian column left Zarcham, 100 miles north of Mianeh and drove towards Mianeh after bombarding the Azerbaijan positions along the Ghaflankuh mountains.

Pass Village Captured

sion to send troops into Azerbaijan was made on British advice. The Tabriz radio says that Persian Government troops, after three days’ battle, occupied the Kurdistan town of Sardasht after it had changed hands twice. The Government forces, including tanks and artillery, crossed the Kurdistan-Azerbaijan frontier. The British United Press correspondent in Teheran says the Chief of the Persian General Staff denied that the Government troops had launched an offensive. He admitted, however, that fighting was going on in lower Kurdistan where Tudeh Party forces attacked yesterday afternoon. The correspondent says that a Russian plane is reported to have flown over Teheran last night but it was not fired on Azerbaijan anti-aircraft batteries offered slight opposition to Government planes whiesh dropped leaflets. “Merciless Bombing of Villages’' According to the Tabriz radio, Persian Government planes are “mercilessly bombing Kurd villages.” The radio said that many houses had been destroyed but the casualties were not yet known. A commentator writing in the Moscow newspaper Pravda says that the Persian Government intends not to secure order in Azerbaijan but to disband the Tudeh Party and prevent the election of its representatives. “Fie.’ce persecution of the members of the Tudeh Pa -ty followed the Government occupation of Zenjan,” added the radio. “Government troops, with tanks, artillery and aircraft, on December 4 attacked forward Azerbaijan units and began moving into Azerba;jan.”

Several central Government columns have thrust into Azerbaijan in what, says the Associated Press’ correspondent, some Teheran diplomatic sources consider to be an armed test of Soviet influence. One column, in addition to the other two, is driving towards Mianeh from Tabak in south-west Kurdistan, which is now in Government hands. The British United Press' correspondent says that 12 villages along the Ghaflankuh Pass are now in the hands of Government troops, who are fortifying their newly-won lines. The Chief of Staff, General Razmara, said that fighting is going on at the entrance to Ghaflankuh Pass which straddles the main route into Azerbaijan. The Government forces had captured the main part of Ghaflanuk heights, said the Chief of the Persian General Staff. The Government forces had advanced 25 miles on the west flank. The Tudeh Party casualties were reported to be heavy. Resistance Light. -General Razmara said the attackers were made Up of regulars and irregulars. The main thrust began this morning and contact was made with the Tudeh Party forces near Zarcham. Resistance and casualties so far are reported to have been light. Some Tudeh Party troops were taken prisoner and some surrendered.

The British Foreign Office spokesman repeated the assurances that the British regarded the troops’ movements within Persia as entirely a domestic affair for the Persian Government to decide.

The spokesman denied that the deci-