Tension in Kurdish area rising

January 8, 1980

3 minutes read

          
          Tension
          in Kurdish
          area rising
          Key leader resigns,
          joins group opposed
          to security forces
          Tehran (AP) —Tension mounted in the
          Ifurdish powderkeg of Sanandaj yesterday
          as the governor general of Kurdistan
          province resigned to join protesters who
          demand ‘the withdrawal of non-Kurdislz
          government Security forces.
          Tens of thousands of demonstrators
          filled the streets of Tabris, setting fire to a
          revolutionary committee building as Yb-
          lenee flared across Iran. In the holy city of
          Qom, authoritles accused leftovers of the
          American agents” of planning clashes
          there later this week.
          Western reporters were expelled from
          l'abrlz as violence entered Its fourth day
          in the northwestern Azerbaijani provincial
          capital, major city of the Turkish-speak-
          ing Azari minority.
          The Persian Gull coast near the Strait
          of ftormuz was closed down in mourning
          for the dozens killed in clashes between
          Sanni and Sbiite Muslims in Bandar Lao-
          geb, Another slaying was reported in the
          town as fighting continued for the fourth
          straight day. Between 41 and 56 persons
          were reported killed In weekend clashes.
          sight persons were reported killed in
          the southeast province of Baluehistan-Sis.
          tan, where a number of people were killed
          last month as some residents demanded
          the withdrawal of the revolutionary
          guard.
          The office of Ayatollah Ruhollah
          Khomeini announced the revolutionary
          leader canceled all appointments for 15
          days starting January 12, ‘Febran radio
          said. Citmg Ayatollah Khomeini's
          “extreme fatigue,” the statement said he
          would not receive anyone.
          In Sanandaj, where fighting between
          Kurds and the Khomeini forces flared
          again as recently as last week, a sit-in
          continued at the governor general's office.
          Hussein Shahvessi, who resigned as
          governor general when the revolutionary
          guards failed to leave Sanandaj by the
          deadline he had set, joined the protesters
          in the sit-in. The central government
          refused to accept his resignation, but Mr.
          Shahvessi remained in the protest.
          The guards, a paramilitary group or-
          ganized by Ayatollah Khomeini after the
          revolution, have encountered criticism
          around the country, especially in areas
          where minorities are concentrated
          Sanandaj was one of the centers of
          1i hting in last summer's clashes between
          See TEBRAN, A4, Col. 3
          nupporsers Os yatoUan Monammas Kazein Shariat-Madari
          ransack the headquarters of Ayatollah Rubollab Khomeini's
          committee In Tabrit daring demonstrations. The building was
          later burned as tension between backers of the two men rises.

‘l'F'HflAN from A I Staterwi radio said that “revolutionary guards and p0-
lice have been ordered to stop any suspicious movement at
cue guards and the Kurds, who seek a degree of autonomy the city's entrance,”
from the central government. State-run radio also reported that 70& people had left
The Islamic revolutionary prosecutor's office in Qom the West Azerbaijan provincial capital of Uruznieh on a
warned troublemakers to stay away from the city tomor- pilgrimage to Qoin, where they wanted to meet with Aya-
row, when thousands of Muslim pilgrims are expected to tollab Khomeini to discuss provincial difficulties.
observe the Shiite holy day of Arbain, the 40th day of the Angry followers of Ayatollah Shariat-Madari report-
martyrdom of Bossein, grandson of Mohammad and edly were patroling the streets. The reports said demon-
founder of the Shiite sect of Islam. strators set fire to the headquarters of a revolutionary
“According to reports reaching this office, a group of committee that is loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini and has
counterrevolutionary elements and the leftovers of the been arresting demonstrators in recent days. Reporters
American agents are planning to repeat Friday's ViO- said four Shariat-Madari supporters were slain there re-
lence,” the office said. cently.
Street clashes broke out last Friday between persons The new violence in Tabris began Friday when Sicariat-
identifying themselves as supporters of Ayatollah Moham- Madari supporters briefly took over the state-run televi-
mad Kazem Shariat-Madari, the nation's second ranking sion-radio station,
ayatollah, and unarmed worshipers approaching Qom's Ayatollah Sliariat-Madari, who maintains he is loyal to
main mosque. Both Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah the Khomeini-led government, said the country's new con-
Shariat-Madari live in Qom. stilution concentrates too much power in the revolu-
tionary leader's hands.
Former foreign minister Ebrahim Yazdi, dispatched by
Ayatollah Khomeini to Bandar Langeb as his personal rep-
resentative, held his first meeting with Shitte Muslims
who clashed with Sunnis over the weekend. “No meeting
was scheduled with the Sunni leaders. .. mainly because
they were holding a separate meeting between themselves
the whole afternoon,” state radio quoted Mr. Yazdi as say-
ing.
Insurgents ambushed a guard unit on a highway about
150 miles south of the provincial captial of Zahedan, and
two guardsmen and four insurgents were killed, the offi-
cial Pars news agency said. Two army men were killed
and one was wounded when insurgents attacked an army
truck. Pars said.