ON THIS DAY 23.August.1979
Kurds in Iran have ousted government troops from a
large area near the Iraqi border.
However, they have full control of only one town,
Mahabad, the centre of Iranian Kurdistan in the
north-west of the country.
The revolt began last week when Kurdish tribesmen
overpowered Iranian soldiers in the nearby town of
Paveh.
The fighting later spread to the towns of Divan
Darreh, Saqqez and Mahabad which was briefly the
capital of an independent Kurdish republic from
1946-7. |
Reports say 600 have been killed in the fighting
Photo: BBC |
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Iran's four million Kurds have been disappointed the
ousting of the Shah and the setting up of an Islamic
state has not brought them more autonomy.
Hiding
Many of the 15 million Kurds inhabiting the
mountainous area where Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria and
the Soviet republic of Armenia meet want it to be
declared an independent state.
But Turkey and Iraq in particular have always
resisted giving up sovereignty over their portions
of Kurdistan.
Earlier this year Kurdish leaders met Iran's
spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who warned
them against trying to break away from Iran.
Many Kurdish leaders have now gone into hiding after
Ayatollah Khomeini ordered their arrest.
In spite of the current fighting, Iran's Kurds say
they do not want to sever the territory from the
rest of the country.
"If we cut ourselves off we would have only the
mountains and the goats. We would die from hunger,"
said one Kurdish leader.
Iranian newspaper reports have put the number killed
so far at about 600.
Traditionally, Iran's Kurds have been less strident
in their demands for independence and have rarely
resorted to violence.
They have more in common with the majority
population who are Persians than Kurds in Turkey and
Iraq have with the majority Arabs there.
www.bbc.co.uk
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