Kurds halt Iranian advance

          
          Kurds halt Iranian advance: 400 troops repelled, 15 slain as clash at Mahabad nears
          The Sun ( 1837- 1 985); Sep 3, 1979; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Ssn, The (1t37-198e
          Pt. Al
          Kurds halt
          Iranian
          advance
          400 troops repelled,
          15 slain as clash
          at Mahabad nears
          Niandowab,kn(AP)— rdi jeb ej
          yesterday repelled 400 soldIers advancing
          on the Kurd? mountain stronghold of
          Mahabad, according to witnesses. b an-
          other action, the Pars news agency said,
          Kurds ambushed a truckload of the gov-
          ernment's revolutionary guards headed
          for Mahabad, kIlling 15 and woundIng 2.
          In Tehran, thestate radio reported gov..
          ernment troops had detested the autono-
          my -seeking Kurds In two cities not far
          from Mahabat
          The witnesses said an Iranian Army
          column, with armored personnel carriers,
          light tanks and artillery, moved into the
          southern approaches to Mababad and was
          advancing on the rebel city when the
          Kurds opened fire from their mountain
          positions. They reported the rebels kept
          the trqops under fire forabout eight hours
          before the soldiers retreated to their base
          camp near Miandowab 25 miles away.
          Military sources said five soldiers were
          wounded in the engagement, which was
          seen as preliminary maneuvering for
          what could become the biggest confronta-
          tion since the Kurds renewed their strug-
          gle for autonomy six months ago.
          Revolutionary guards and regular
          Army units are deployed on three sides of
          Mababad and, after a five-day military
          buildup, control the main access routes to
          the city. The Air Force's American-made
          Phantom jets flew reconnaissance mis-
          sions over the southern approaches, look-
          ing for holes In Kurdisk defenses In the
          rugged terrain.
          Some 20,000 Kurds were believed to be
          in and around the city, waiting for govern.
          ment forces to make their move.
          Iran's Islamic revolutionary govern-
          ment has said that, U the Kurdish leaders
          and the Kurdish Democratic party do not
          let government forces enter Mahabad to
          re-establish authority, they will be
          crushed. The Kurt have vowed they will
          fight and have called on their supporters
          to prepare for the “hattIe of their desti-
          Huge helico ters ferried more govern-
          See ,Co l.I
          Reproduced with permission of lhe coppright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
        

          
          Kurdish rebels repel 400
          Iranians, witnesses report
          IRAN, from Al
          ment troops and supplies to Mahabad
          from the major Army garrison and air.
          field at Sanandaj, 125 miles to the south,
          reporters theresald.
          “Weare going to go Lute Mababad Moo.
          day 'an Armyofflcereald hi Mlandowab.
          A soldier who returned to this Kurdish
          town with the retreating Anuy column
          said, “We had to come back becanae the
          Kurds were hitting us very hard and the
          going got r ly rough.”
          No civilian traffic was permUted on
          the national blghwayand thesideroads.
          Early yesterday, rebels ambushed an
          Anny truck carryIng 25 revolutionary
          guards toward Mahabad, killIng 15 end
          wounding 2, the news agency Pars said.
          Yesterday afternoon, at the funeral for the
          slain guards In the 1 urdlah town of Na.
          ghadeh, six persons were injured when a
          grenade was thrown Into a group of
          mourners Pars said.
          The news agency said that early yes-
          terday, Kurdlsh rebels also killed two dec.
          to rolwlon1troops out-
          side Saqqez, which the Army recaptured
          fronarebels e Ight days ago.
          Kurdish sources said the outlawed
          Kurdish Democratic party In Mahabad
          was organizing small festivities to keep up
          the morale of the more than 100,000 In-
          lzab ltantsof the city.
          In Tehrao, the state radio reported that
          a spokesman for the chief of staff, Gm.
          Mohammad Sbakex said government
          forces, assisted by the Air Force, ‘ v1cto .
          rlously” entered Plranshahr, .12 mIles
          from Mahabad, alter pounding the area
          with artlllery it did not say whether the
          Air Force fired on the insurgents. One aol-
          dler was killed, several were wounded and
          heavy casualties Iwerel inflicted on the
          rebels,” the radio salt
          The government claimed that as the
          rebels retreated in the Ptrartshabr area,
          they passed through a village and “be-
          headed two men and took one woman hoe-
          tage.” The goveroonent did not Identify the
          village.
          In further action, the radio sald ,a gov-
          ernment detachment from Miandowab ad-
          vanced on Bukan, 30 miles southeast of
          Mahabad, and “eliminated all resistance.”
          It said residents of the area welcomed the
          government forces. There was no inde-
          pendent confirmation of the government
          claims.
          There were no reports of ghtlng out-
          side the western region of tan where
          most of the Kurds live.
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