Iran, Iraq Soldiers Battle for Control of Key Oil Area

Iranian and Iraqi soldiers fought in the Kurdistan mountains Friday for control of a strategic area east of the Kirkuk oil fields, which produce more than half the oil that finances Iraq’s war effort.

Each side claimed to have shot down four of the other’s warplanes during the battle on the northern front.

Iran said its Revolutionary Guards killed or wounded 500 Iraqis in heavy fighting east of Sayed Sadeq. Both sides employed warplanes and helicopter gunships in the battle.

In the Persian Gulf, Iraq claimed its warplanes scored “accurate and effective hits” on two tankers off Iran during the night. There was no immediate confirmation from maritime executives.

Basra, Other Cities Hit

Reports from Tehran said the Iranians hit Basra, Iraq’s southern provincial capital, and five other border cities farther north with missile and artillery barrages. Iraq said its warplanes bombed Bakhtaran, Hamadan and Shushtar in western Iran.

Iraq reported 10 civilians killed and 22 wounded. Iran said 53 people were killed in the Iraqi raids.

Towns and cities on both sides of the frontier have been battered regularly since the war began in September, 1980.

Both sides have fired more than 250 missiles into each others capitals and other cities since Feb. 29, killing hundreds of civilians.

Foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, meeting in Amman, Jordan, said they will press the United Nations to force a cease-fire on Iran. The Iranians left the meeting Thursday, accusing the delegates of serving only Iraq’s interest.

Northern Offensive

Dispatches from Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency said Revolutionary Guards pushing into northeastern Iraq mauled four infantry battalions and a brigade, totaling around 7,500 men.

IRNA identified the brigade as part of Iraq’s 7th Army Corps, an element in the defense network that protects Basra from periodic Iranian thrusts across the southern border.

That indicated the Iraqis had moved forces from the south, where about half their 1 million soldiers are concentrated, to counter the northern offensive.

According to the agency, fighting centered on the Rishan mountains east of Sayed Sadeq, the apparent Iranian objective in the latest phase of the 10-day-old assault.

An Iranian force of at least 30,000 men was said to be five miles west of the town, an important transportation hub, on Thursday after a two-pronged drive 10 miles across the border that cut off many Iraqi soldiers.

Planes Reported Shot Down

Tehran radio said four Iraqi fighter-bombers were shot down by ground fire Friday and the pilots killed. Baghdad’s official Iraqi News Agency said that anti-aircraft fire downed four Iranian jets in the battle zone, and that Iraqi fighters destroyed four helicopters.

Military communiques from Tehran said fighter-bombers made 14 raids on Iraqi troop concentrations in the northern battle zone and around Amarah in the south. It said all returned safely.

Al Thawra, the newspaper of Iraq’s ruling Baath Socialist Party, said Iraqi planes flew 224 sorties Thursday, one of the highest one-day totals of the past year. It said they dropped nearly 200 tons of bombs and destroyed three Iranian jets and two helicopters Thursday.

Iran claims its soldiers have killed or wounded 11,000 Iraqis during the northern offensive, captured 4,500 and destroyed 200 tanks and armored vehicles. Iraq says thousands of invaders have been killed, but admits losing several towns.