Iraq Kills 71 in Raids on Iranian Cities, Fires 7 Missiles at Tehran

Iraq, vowing to continue attacks on civilians until Iran accepts a cease-fire, Tuesday fired seven missiles at Tehran and bombed several other cities in attacks Iran said killed at least 71 people.

Baghdad’s official news agency INA said Iraqi units launched seven missiles into Tehran, and Tehran Radio confirmed that “several” missiles hit the Iranian capital.

The radio reported that 71 people, including 15 schoolchildren, were killed when Iraqi jets bombed nine cities in western Iran.

Iraq, which has the technological edge in the 7 1/2-year-old war, has fired 15 missiles into the Iranian capital since Sunday. Iran has responded by firing two missiles at Baghdad.

“Iraq will continue hitting the dens of crime and prostitution to teach the Iranian rulers a lesson,” the Iraqi military spokesman said.

Iranian warplanes retaliated with 21 bombing runs on Iraqi troop positions and “industrial and military installations” in Iraqi cities, Tehran radio said.

Iran said it bombarded the southern port of Basra and Nashwa, 12 miles to the north, with 11 short-range missiles and artillery fire.

The absence of any missile attack on Baghdad prompted speculation that the Iranians may have exhausted their arsenal of long-range missiles in an exchange with the Iraqis that began Feb. 29 and was interrupted for two days last Friday.

The Iraqi agency quoted Basra Mayor Anwar Saeed as saying that Iran has fired about 2,800 shells at the city since Feb. 28, destroying or damaging about 400 houses, starting fires and killing several people.

“The Katyushas (rockets) are the worst,” Saeed said. “The Iranians use truck-mounted launchers which means they can fire and run before our people can locate them. The shrapnel bursts from the rockets is worse than the shells, and they kill more people.”

Population Dwindles

Basra was once Iraq’s second-largest city. But its prewar population of 1 million has dwindled to about 300,000 in the last two years as people fled the Iranian shelling.

Meanwhile, Persian Gulf shipping executives said that Iraqi warplanes attacked a Liberian-flag tanker, chartered by Iran, off the Iranian coast.

They had no details on casualties or damage aboard the 249,223-ton Trade Fortitude, the second ship damaged in Iraqi raids in the gulf since March 8.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, foreign ministers of six conservative Arab states held talks on the gulf war.