Tehran, Iran (API—Artillery, and hell.
copter gunships pounded Kurdish force
last night In the western town of Saqqex.
Kurdish source claimed the rebels had
killed 80 soldiers In the largest battle
since fighting began 10 days ago between
government forces and rebels who want
autonomy for Kurdistan.
Helicopters dropped flares over the
Kurdish defenders and made strafing
passe as government troops on the out-
skirts of Saqqes fired mortars Into the
center of ton No figures were available
on rebel casualties, but reporters at the
scene said the toll was heavy. on both
sides.
Kurdish sources said about 2,000
heavily, armed Kurdish fighters were In
Saqqez, holding out against a greats num-
ber of government troops.
The Army had moved artillery close to
the town of 40,000 InhabItants, but with-
drew when the Kurds began firing with
light cannon and recoilless rifles, report-
ers said.
Source said the Kurds controlled a
bridge between the town and the main
road leading to Sanandaj to the south, but
the Army was expected to move up rein-
forcements and heavier weapons at day-
break Reporters saw a column of tanks
moving towards Saqqez.
Medical teams were trying to enter the
town to help the wounded but were pinned
down by the heavy fighting, reporters
said.
There was no indication who provoked
the latest round of fighting. The Kurds had
been reported avoiding clashes with the
more heavily armed government troops
sent to Kurdistan province In the previous
36 hours.
Earlier yesterday, 25 government sol-
diers were killed in a rebel ambush, the
official Pars news agency reported.
In a brief message distributed by KS-
ish sources inTehran, Shelkh Ezzedin Hos-
sein, leader of the province's four million
Kurt, called on Iranians to defend the
Kurds because “it Is becoming clear now
the government Is leading the country to a
new dlctatcrsblpP and warned them ‘%ot
to believe the polsonon lies which are
being spread under the noble name of reli-
glon.”
He said the Kurds “will not stop fight-
Ing for one moment until Kurdisk aspira-
tions are met within a united Iran.” For
centuries the large Kurdish population in
northwestern Iran has fought for Inde-
pedence, but they now say they want au-
tonomywithinthenatlonof Iran.
Reporters in Kurdistan said yesterday
that troops and revolutionary guards ent-
ered the town of Kamyaran, south of the
region's chief clty Sanan'iaJ, WArmed the
local population and declared martial law.
“The town was dead and no traffic was
permitted to pan through for five hours,”
areportersald.
At Sananda ) , where the government
has a large air base, reports said 0-130
troop transports “flew In constantly” tak-
ing men and supplies to bolster the grow-
ing number of troops assigned to Kurdis-
tat
The chief of the armed forces, Ma).
Get Mohaxnmad Houssein Shaker, In a
message to the Kurt, claimed the troops
were not being sent to Kurdistan to sup-
press them but were “simply returning to
where they used to be,” Pars reported.
He said ‘the Islamic Republic Army
pledges to bring peace and order to the
Kurdistan area and crush any kind of
armed resistance.”
While attempts were under way to con-
trol the Kurt, ethnic Arabs In Khuzestan
varned that if their spiritual leader Is not
permitted to return home by tomorrow
‘we will react strongly.”
Shelkh Shobeir Khaqanl was whisked
away by government forces in July after
the minority Arabs clashed with revolu-
tionary guards in the port city of Khoram-
shahr.
The Arabs, also seeking a degree of
self-rule for their ethnic minority in a
mostly Persian nation, could deal a severe
blow to the government if they sabotaged
the oil Installations, had ' now are under
hea u ly bacb ed e-
sponsibility fort bombs that damaged oil
pipelines. Pipelines leading to the worlds
biggest oil refinery, in Abadan, were shut
dowufor l odays.
ran may have key
to -weapons, expert says
Los Angela (AP)—Iran may have
gained a key part of the technology
needed for nuclear weapons production
from a small Los Angeles laser manufac-
turing firm that received financing from
the government of the now-deposed shah,
ascientist says.
Thtfeder 4 government approved the
sale, though officials at the Departrnentof
Energy contend the process of enriching
uranium with laser beams, the system
purchased by Iran, is faulty and will not
produce the promised results, according to
James Kratz, chief of DOts nuclear ex-
port branck
However, Dr. Jeffrey Eerkens, who
holds the patent on the system, said Wed-
nesday the DOE evaluation at the govern-
ment's Los Mamas nuclear laboratory
was carelessly done with second-hand in-
formation.
“The proof of the pudding is that I did.
get enrIchment when I used this process—
and that the equipment I used at the time
is now considered extremely primItive,”
he said.
Dr. Eerkens said the lasers sold to Iran
were not specifically meant for enriching
wramum.
The lasers and associated equipment,
said to have cost $2 million, arrived in
Tehran last October, but the overthrow of
the shah combined with the absence of
technical assistance are likely to preclude
their use for some time, the Los Angeles
Times reported Wednesday. -
Kurds shelied, strafed in battle for town; heavy losses reported
The Sun (183 7-1985); Aug 24, 1979; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Sun, The (1837-1986)
pg. A2
Kurds shelled, Atrafed in battle
for town; héàvy.losses reported
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
