Iranian Resistance Announces Formation of Liberation Army

The Associated Press
June 19, 1987

NICOSIA, Cyprus - Massoud Rajavi, the leader of the Mujahedeen Khalq, the main Iranian resistance group, on Friday announced the formation of a "National Liberation Army," to fight the government of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

An announcement by the Mujahedeen, or People's Warriors, said the newly formed army had carried out a series of attacks inside Iran in the past 10 days, killing or wounding 640 "of Khomeini's repressive guards and taking 38 captive."

The announcement was made to mark the sixth anniversary of the launching of the Mujahedeen's anti-Khomeini resistance in Iran on June 20, 1981.

It was telexed to The Associated Press in Nicosia from the Mujahedeen headquarters in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.

Iran and Iraq have been at war since September 1980, and the Mujahedeen have been receiving Iraqi backing to wage underground operations inside Iran.

The announcement said that since the launching of the resistance campaign, the Iranian government has executed 70,000 people and imprisoned 140,000 others.