Evening star., 1947-12-30
Greek
CONTINUED From First Page.)

snshed their siege ring around Ko-
nitsa and poured artillery fire into
the city'in their desperate effort to
seize it. They were reported to be
using trenches dug during the Ital-
ian campaign in 1910.
=. Government sources said the
northern Greek town, which has
a normal population of 5000 to
-4DO0. was isolated anew by fresh
guerrilla battalions pouring in from
Albania, 5 miles to the north, after
Greek Army forces broke the rebel
lines just long enough to get a
a brigade of reinforcements inside
, Konitsa.
A general staff spokesman said
guerrilla strength now stood at
: about $4,000 men, $4,000 Of them
in the northwestern battle area
around Konitsa. This estimate OF
. the rebel strength was 1000 high
er than previous figures.
officials in Athens said guerrilla
units seized houses in the southern
outskirts of Konitsa last night,
despite the artillery fire of the
weary outnumbered garrison. They
moved into the city's perimeter after
: reblocking the Ioannina- a-Konitsa
highway, five miles north of Kali
. paki, in an area which saw bitter
, hand-to-hand fighting when the re-
inforcing Greek Army brigade cut
: its way through. '+ -
Rebels Suffer Heavy Losses.
Military observers said the rebels
were suffering heavy losses and
throwing tremendous amounts OF
ammunition into Konitsa. Captured
guerrillas said Vifiades was directing
the operations before the city.
A Greek Army spokesman ex-
pressed confidence the city would
Withstand the attacks, and War
Minister George Stratos said the
morale of the Athens government
was higher, if possible, than that
, of 1940," when the Greeks beat
back the italian invasion from Al
bania.
The War Minister said the gar
rison in Konitsa was counter-at-
tacking as well as fighting defen-
sively. Rocket-firing Spitfires OF
the Greek airforce also have been
sent into the fight.
The rebels, in addition to hold
ing the southern approaches to Kon-
lisa by their grip on the road at
Kalpaki, control the city's western
approaches by their hold on the
Bourozani Bridge, II miles to the
west. They captured the span at
the beginning of the battle and have
turned back all efforts to retake 1t.
U. S. Observers in Area.
United States military observers
were reported in the battle area
observing the operations, and an
observer team of the United Ma
tions Special Commission on the
Balkans was in Ioannina to ascer-
tain whether any border violations
had occurred.
In Salonika the Commission on
the Balkans unanimously passed
a resolution last night declaring
that recognition by any country OF
the Greek Communist Govern
ment," followed by direct or in
direct aid" would constitute 9
threat to international peace and
security"
The resolution was introduced by
the Brazilian delegate.
1t. Col. Constantine Vlachos
Greek general staff spokesman, tolo
q news conference last night that
between IS and 40 per cent OF al
guerrillas had been trained abroae
and that from rs to 100 per cent o1
their arms had been furnished by
Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.
He said q code message from 6
"foreign" source to Vifiades hao
been intercepted which advised the
Greek people to begin campaign
Of general sabotage He said the
message had been intended fol
broadcast on the rebel radio on New
Year Dav,