FERMENT IN BALKANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1943, Page 3

FERMENT IN BALKANS

FOLLOWING ON INVASION OF SICILY PROBLEMS FOR ITALIANS. ATTACKS BY PATRIOT FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 16. The Allied invasion of Sicily has caused a flare-up throughout the Balkans. All leave for Axis troops has been cancelled. The Rome radio quotes a report from Bagdad that the Commander-in-Chief inspected British troeps in Persia yesterday, and that all military leave has been suspended. Reuter’s correspondent at Istanbul says: “According to reports reaching here, the Allied landings in Sicily were the signal for renewed and widespread attacks against. Italian garrisons in the Balkans. Yugoslav patriots killed at least 400 Italians in a lightning swoop against barracks in Dalmatian islands on the Adriatic coast opposite Italy. The revolt has spread unchecked, and the Italian, occupation authorities were forced to decree a general mobilisation in Albania before the situation could be got under control. Members of the Macedonian Revolutionary Committee are believed to be co-operating with Yugoslav patriots, who inflicted serious casualties on Bulgarian troops at Skoplje and other Yugoslav towns. All leave was slopped for Axis troops throughout the Balkans, while Bulgaria especially is in a state of tension. There is panic in Sofia, where a special German radio installation jammed all Allied broadcasts to Bulgaria. Troop reinforcements have been rushed to Greece. The Bulgarian Premier abandoned an inspection of defences in Thrace and rushed back to the capital, where a few hours after the announcement of the Allied landings in Sicily, leaflets were distributed saying: “The Allies have disembarked in Sicily. Our turn to save Bulgaria from the Axis aproaches.’’ The Vichy radio stated that Bulgarian troops were today taking over from Italian troops several Yugoslav towns which Italy ceded to Bulgaria under the terms of the recent agreements. The Algiers radio, quoting a message from Ankara, said patriots had occupied ten villages along the Alban-ian-Yugoslav frontier.