IRAQ/IRAN: Iraqis put Iranian prisoners on display/Iranian Deputy claims advances at front
Record ID:
862667
IRAQ/IRAN: Iraqis put Iranian prisoners on display/Iranian Deputy claims advances at front
- Title: IRAQ/IRAN: Iraqis put Iranian prisoners on display/Iranian Deputy claims advances at front
- Date: 16th December 1988
- Summary: MAJLIS, IRAN (VISNEWS - MAHMOUD OSKOUI) CU Iranian Deputy in Majlis speaks in Farsi
- Embargoed: 31st December 1988 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iran, Islamic Republic of, Iraq
- City:
- Country: Iraq Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAALKWORZCF46W0SS77M3QPGAMD
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: INTRODUCTION: Both sides in the Gulf was have reported intense fighting on the northern sector of the border. Iraq claims to have killed nearly 400 Iranians in 48 hours amid Iranian claims that their forces were making headway in the rugged mountain zone. This film, released by Iraqi television allegedly shows Iranian prisoners captured in the latest fighting -- and being interviewed in hospital.
SYNOPSIS: The Iranian soldiers said they were captured on Friday (11 December), the first day on which a new wave of fighting was reported on the mountainous northern sector around Gilan-e-Gharb and Sumar. The soldiers said that their Iranian comrades apparently had suffered heavy losses in men and equipment. They said the Iranians were facing fierce Iraqi resistance.
The prisoners said they had been well-treated and hoped the war would end soon. In fact, the iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein on Tuesday (15 December) offered to end the war immediately if Iran recognised Iraq's international borders. President Hussein was referring to Iraqi control of the contested Shaat-al-Arab waterway. But the latest Iranian offensive which began on 29 November shows no sign of fading.
In Teheran on Saturday (12 December) deputies from the Iranian border area told a news conference of victories at the front. One deputy spoke of breakthroughs in the southern sector of the war zone, including recapture of the border town of Bostan. They now say they are forcing back the Iraqis in the north. For their part, the Iraqi have admitted a large-scale enemy attack. But progress for the Iranians has been slow, and resources seem certain to be stretched much further if the advance is to be maintained.
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