IRAN SAYS IT OPENS NEW OFFENSIVE NORTH OF BAGHDAD
Iran said it launched a fresh offensive
today north of Baghdad, three days after it began a new thrust
against Iraq on the southern Gulf war front.
    The Iranian news agency IRNA, received in London, said the
offensive began before dawn northeast of Qasr-e-Shirin, on the
border 110 miles northeast of the Iraqi capital.
    "Heavy casualties and losses have been inflicted on Iraqi
forces in the fresh Iranian assault," IRNA said.
    Iran today reported major gains on the southern front near
the major Iraqi port city of Basra, saying its forces had
captured an important defensive line.
    Iraq said today it repelled an Iranian assault near its
southern port of Basra last night, inflicting thousands of
casualties on the attackers.
    An Iraqi field commander told a correspondent of the
official Iraqi news agency INA that four Iranian divisions were
destroyed in the fighting. He said "Our forces are still engaged
in repelling the enemy offensive, inflicting on them intensive
losses, but (they are) in full control of the situation."
    A Baghdad war communique last night said Iraq had foiled a
three-pronged thrust some 10 km from Basra while admitting Iran
had occupied some fresh territory.
 REUTER
