Fresh clashes in the northwestern City of Sannandaj

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Aug 1, 2005, 17:59

Scattered clashes took place, today, in the northwestern City of Sannandaj located in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. Groups of demonstrators retaliated to the brutal attack of regime's militiamen by using pieces of stones and incendiary devices.

Tens of residents had resumed their peaceful protest action in front of the Governor's office when militiamen started the attack with clubs and tear gas. Slogans, such as, "Marg bar Jomhoori e Eslami" (Down with Islamic Republic), "Marg Bar Estebdad" (Down with dictatorship), "Rahbar boro Gom Sho" (Supreme Leader Get Lost), "Iran Azad, Azad Iran" (Iran Free, Free Iran) were shouted by demonstrators in the local Kurdish and in Persian languages.

Most areas of the city, such as, Enghelab, Azadi ('Freedom'), Khomeini and Ferdowsi were affected by the unrest.

Tens of have been reported as injured or arrested by special forces sent from cities, such as, Hamedan, Saghez, Kermanshah and Mahabad.

Other northwestern cities, such as, Marivan, Baneh, Mian-Do-Ab, Marivan, Oshnovieh have been, for the last two weeks, the daily scenes of riots and _expression of exasperation against an unpopular regime notorious for Human Rights abuses. Demonstrations leading to scattered clashes have been taking place following the publication of the mutilated body of a killed young activist who was arrested on July 9th.

Several demonstrators and security agents have been killed so far and tens of public buildings have been damaged.

It's to note that more and more of region's residents are resorting to protest following President Bush's wise statement on the "need of respecting the territorial integrity of Iran". Till then, most residents of the Iranian provinces of Kurdistan and W. Azarbaijan were fearing to become indirect tools in service of few independentist groups who are targeting to split them from Iran.