Kurdish insurgents hold Iranian Army at bay

          
          From Wire Cervices
          Saqqez, iran—Transport helicopters shuttled several
          hundred fresh government troops into the besieged mill-
          tory garrison in this rebel-held city in westerq Iran yester
          day. Kurdish insurgents said they captured six govern.
          ment tanks from militiamen moving toward Saqqex from
          the south.
          Rebels brought one of the captured tanks with them to
          the city and moved it into position not far from the mili-
          tary compound as American-made Cobra helicopter gun-
          ships swooped low, spraying the area with machine-gun
          fire and rockets. The other five tanks were positioned out-
          side town to bolster defenses.
          In Tehrafl, the official news agency Pars reported gov-
          ernment troops had recaptured Saqqez, but telephone lines
          were down and independent confirmation was not possi-
          ble, Two hours before the Pars report was Sued, an th-
          server said only that fighting continued at the compound
          and helicopter gunships were firing rockets in several
          areas of the town.
          The state radio said earlier that Kurt had placed
          women and children on a bridge leading to Saqqez, forcing
          an advancing army column to bold Its firt It gave no fur-
          ther details. At that time, correspondents in. Saqqes re-
          ported the town firmly under Kurdlsh control and said n O
          troops had been seen in or on the outskirts of Saqqei or
          near the bridge.
          The tough Kurdish fighters, in their tasseled headbands
          and ba ggy pants, took cover from the rockets In the rubble
          of devastated buildings. Most of the Kurds, who seek au-
          tonomy for Kurdistan province, a mountainous northwest-
          ern region where they number about 5 millIon, brandished
          new Russian-made Kalashnlkov automatic rifles and Ira-
          nlan 0-3's. Others carried weapons of World War II vin-
          tage.
          Abdulrahman Qanemlou, a Kurdlah leader, told re-
          porters In Mahabad that Kurds were prepared to negotiate
          with the government If fourconditfons were met
          Re said the conditions were: The suspension of further
          troop reinforcements in the Kurdish ngion the release of
          Kurdish political prisonen the freeing of all Kurdish hos-
          tages; and an end to executions of Kurt alleged to have
          taken part in the fighting.
          Mr. Qassemlou said If these conditions were not met
          the Kurt would continue fighting.
          Mahabad was completely In Kurdish bands and the
          guerrillas were armed with Soviet-made Kalashnlkov
          American M-l6 and Czechoslovak-made Berno automatic
          rifles ,
          At dusk, the rebels in Saqqez began moving up heavier
          weapons including recoilless rifles, apparently in prepara-
          tion for a major assault on the garrison occupied by about
          500 regular government troops and revOlutionary guards.
          The Kurds said they captured the six tanks intact about
          25 miles south of here after they ambushed about 41)0 reg-
          ular troops and revolutionary militiamen marching on
          Saqqex to relieve the mllltarycompound's defenders.
          The Iranian Kurds are part of an ethnic group with
          large populations in Turkey, Iraq and Syria that they
          claim totals 16 mIllion. They are mostly SuS Muslims, a
          majority In the world of Islam, beta minority In thIs coun-
          try, where SUites are predominant.
          As the fighting eased brtSyrit became ipparent thata
          large concentration of government troops-more than 25
          miles south of Saqqex—wasuáableto break through the
          Kurdlsh defense perimeter encompassing roads, hills and
          rugged terrain.
          The Kurt, though short of anus, have manajed to
          keep the Army troops bottledup.
          Another column of government forces headed toward
          Mahabad north of here for what could become another
          major confrontation. Mahabad is the Kurt' major strong-
          hold, and headquarters of the Kurd lsh Democratic party.
          Before Shah Mohammad Beta Pahlavl went into exile
          Mlanuary;he keptstrong military forces In Kurdistan to
          eupprea the Kurt! AflSnt aspirations for freedom and *
          nation of their own. Alter the revolution and the coll*ps
          of the army, Kurdlth natloealSi flared again but the goal
          was self-rule, not independence.
          pg. A2
          Kurdish insurgents hold Iranian Army at bay
          The Sun (183 7-1985); Aug 25, 1979; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Sun, The (1837-1986)
          Kurdish insurgents hold Iranian Army at bay
          Last week, Kurt seized the city of Paveh, In Kurdis-
          tan, and held It for five days until army troops and revolu-
          tiOnary guardsmen drove them out.•
          Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.