Iran reports fall of small Kurdish town
The Sun (1837-1985 , ); Sep 7, 1979; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Sun, The (1837-1986)
pg.A6
nreports fall of small Kurdish town
Tebran (Reuter)—GOvernment forces cap.
lured the Iranian Kurdish town of Sardasbt
after minor clashes with guerrillas last night,
theoffklal Pars news agency reported.
Pars said artillery troops fought the guerril.
las for less than 20 minutes before gaining con-
trot of the small northwestern border town,
which the agency said was the last stronghold
of Kurdish rebel forces. It gave no further de-
ta ils of the takeover.
Witnesses in Sardasbt, 60 miles from the
Iraqi border, said by telephone earlier yester-
day that government helicopters strafed sus-
pected guerrilla positions içi the town fur Iwo
hourayesterday afternoon.
Wormed sources saId 10,000 Kurdish guer-
rillas left the town for the surrounding hills two
days ago after being pushed back by govern-
ment troops. Half the population of 20.000 also
moved outbecause of food shortages.
The sources said the Kiardish rebels con-
trolied all roads into Sardasht, but there were
no guerrillas or government forces In the town
lLeeU The only armed forces spokesman avail-
able In Tebran yesterday said he was not au
thorized to comment on the situation In and
around Sard&thL
In another development, Islamic revolu .
tionary guard forces Issued a 24-hour ultima-
tum to Kurds In and around the former rebel
gho!d of Saqqez to band In thefrarms.
The Pars news agency quoted a revolu-
ftonary guard spokesman as saying a five-day
arms amnesty ran out yesterday with only six
weapons collected.
Sadeq Tabatabal, a government spokesman
told the evening newspaper Kcrijftnn yesterday
that Prime Minister Mebdi Bazargan has In-
vited Ayatollah Ruhollab Khomeini to move his
headquarters to Tebran from the holy city of
Qo m ,9 OmIle*tothuouth.
Mr. Tabatabai quoted the prime minister as
saying. “His presence laTebran lll make him
more accessible to the nation ak d to the govern-
ment. Therefore hnam KhomethIi Will alwaye
belnformedoftheaffahiof theconntry.”
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