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Iran launches missile attack on Iraqi camp

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, January 25, 2002

NICOSIA Ñ Iran has launched a missile barrage against an insurgency stronghold in neighboring Iraq.

The attack came on the eve of the first visit by an Iraqi foreign minister to Teheran in 20 years. Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri is expected to focus on resolving long-standing issues between the two countries as well as discuss the prospect of cooperation.

Iranian military units fired Katyusha rockets at an insurgency camp just inside Iraq. The attack was said to have been the ninth Iranian rocket barrage since October against opposition strongholds inside Iraq.

The Baghdad-based Mujahadeen Khalq, the largest Iranian insurgency group, said its Romoz camp was the target of Teheran's rocket attack. The camp is about 360 kilometers south of Baghdad.

In a statement, the Khalq said the Iranian attack on late Wednesday did not result in damages or injuries. Iraq's military did not respond to the barrage.

On Wednesday, Iran completed an operation to return 695 Iraqi prisoners from the 1980-88 war with Baghdad. For its part, Iraq released 50 Iranian prisoners. Meanwhilel, Qatar has launched a defense dialogue with Iran. The Qatari effort comes several days after a similar effort was undertaken with Iraq.

Arab diplomatic sources said the talks in Doha appear to be part of an Arab effort to reconcile Iran and Iraq.

Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamakhani arrived in Doha on Friday for a three-day visit to Qatar. Shamakhani was invited by Qatari Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Hamad Bin Ali Al Attiyah.

Iranian diplomatic sources said Shamkhani will discuss defense and military cooperation with Qatar. For Shamkhani, this will be his first visit as defense minister. He had visited Qatar when he was commander of Iran's navy in the early 1990s.

Al Attiyah met Syria's ambassador to Qatar on Wednesday. The Qatari News Agency said the two men discussed cooperation. The service did not elaborate.

On Monday, Iraq and Qatar held their first official military talks since the 1991 Gulf war. The discussion was led by Qatari's military chief of staff, who met Iraqi Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Majid Hamoudi, Iraq's military attache in Qatar.

"They discussed avenues of cooperation," the official Qatari News Agency said.

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