BALKANS DISTURBED

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22093, 17 July 1943, Page 6

BALKANS DISTURBED

REACTIONS FROM SICILY ALL LEAVE SUSPENDED YUGOSLAVS IN REVOLT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received July 17, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 16 The Allied invasion of Sicily has caused a flare-up throughout the Balkanr. All leave for Axis has been cancelled. The Rome radio quotes a report from Bagdad that the Commander-in-Chief inspected British troops in Persia yesterday and all military leave has been suspended. Reuter’s correspondent at Istanbul says that according to reports reaching there the Allied landings in Sicily were the signal for renewed widespread attacks against Italian garrisons in the Balkans. Yugoslav patriots killed at least 400 Italians in a lightning swoop against barracks on Dalmation Islands on the Adriatic coast opposite Italy. The revolt spread unchecked and the Italian occupation authorities were forced to decree general mobilisation in Albania before the situation became under control. Members of a Macedonian revolutionary committee are believed to be cooperating with Yugoslav patriots who inflicted serious casualties on Bulgarian troops at Skoplje and other Yugoslavian towns. Tension in Bulgaria

All leave was stopped for Axis treops throughout the Balkans, while Bulgaria especially was in a state of tension. There was panic in Sofia, where a special German radio installation jammed all Allied broadcasts to Bulgaria. Troop reinforcements have been rushed to Greece. The Bulgarian Premier abandoned an inspection of defences in Thrace and rushed back to the capital where a few hours after the announcement of the Allied landings in Sicily leaflets were distributed saying: “The Allies have disembarked in Sicily. Our turn to save Bulgaria from the Axis approaches.” The Vichy radio stated that Bulgarian troops today were taking over from Italian troops in several Yugoslav towns which Italy had ceded to Bulgaria under the terms of recent agreements. Algiers radio, quoting a message from Ankara, said patriots had occupied ten villages along the Al-banian-Yugoslav frontier.