CASABLANCA, Morocco -- Two Moroccan military aircraft were shot down Tuesday by Soviet-made missiles fired by unknown attackers in the contested Western Sahara near the border with Mauritania, King Hassan II announced.
The mysterious attack revived rumors in Morocco that Cuban troops were advising guerrillas of the Polisario movement fighting for independence of Morocco-ruled Western Sahara, which borders Morocco and Mauritania.
The downing of the C-130 troop transport and a Mirage F-1 fighter also appeared to revive the Sahara war between Moroccan troops and the Algerian-backed guerrillas.
Calm had reigned on the Sahara front for months in view of a proposal in August by King Hassan during an African summit meeting in Nairobi that a referendum be held in the disputed Sahara on its independence.
Political observers said Polisaro guerrillas, as far as is known, are not armed with Sam missiles.
King Hassan's announcement did not say whether anyone was killed in the attack, which occurred during an assault on the Moroccan military post at Guelta Zemmour.
Moroccan officials indicated the troops were Polisario guerrillas based in Mauritania. In the past, Morocco has accused Mauritania of giving refuge to the militants.
The king's message said the C-130 transport was flying at 18,000 feet and the Mirage at 30,000 feet when they were hit.
Moroccan troops spotted 'several dozen tanks' in the region of the attack on Moroccan soil some 15 miles from the Mauritanian border, Moroccan officials said.
Hassan announced the attack in a telegram sent to the U.N. Security Council, President Reagan, French President Francois Mitterrand, the chief of the Organization of African Unity and the heads of all Arab states.
The king recalled that Mauritania, in an pact signed in Saudi Arabia, agreed not to intervene in the fighting between Morocco and the Polisario guerrillas.
Spain ceded the Western Sahara, its former colony, to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975. Mauritania gave up its share after a few years of fighting the Polisario.
The mysterious attack revived rumors in Morocco that Cuban troops were advising guerrillas of the Polisario movement fighting for independence of Morocco-ruled Western Sahara, which borders Morocco and Mauritania.
The downing of the C-130 troop transport and a Mirage F-1 fighter also appeared to revive the Sahara war between Moroccan troops and the Algeria-backed guerrillas.
Calm had reigned on the Sahara front for months in view of a proposal in August by King Hassan during an African summit meeting in Nairobi that a referendum be held in the disputed Sahara on its independence.
Political observers said Polisaro guerrillas, as far as is known, are not armed with Sam missiles.
King Hassan's announcement did not say if anyone was killed in the attack, which occurred during an assault on the Moroccan military post at Guelta Zemmour.
Moroccan officials indicated the troops were Polisario guerrillas based in Mauritania. In the past, Morocco has accused Mauritania of giving refuge to the militants.
The king's message said the C-130 transport was flying at 18,000 feet and the Mirage at 30,000 feet when they were hit.
Moroccan troops spotted 'several dozen tanks' in the region of the attack on Moroccan soil some 15 miles from the Mauritanian border, Moroccan officials said.
Hassan announced the attack in a telegram sent to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French President Francois Mitterrand, the chief of the Organization of African Unity and the heads of all Arab states.
The king recalled that Mauritania, in an pact signed in Saudi Arabia, agreed not to intervene in the fighting between Morocco and the Polisario guerrillas.
Spain ceded the Western Sahara, its former colony, to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975. Mauritania gave up its share after a few years of fighting the Polisario.
