October 30, 1980, Forty Years Ago: Assam MLAs Gherao

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister VP Singh directed the Moradabad administration to take “firm” action against elements disturbing peace. He told newsmen that the “civil police” was being reinforced in Moradabad and said that the government at this stage was not considering steps like the imposition of the curfew or calling out the army. PTI, UNI report: Tension gripped the town again with three more deaths reported in fresh incidents in the last 48 hours. The Civil Lines police sent one headless body for post-mortem. The body was found in the compound of the local collectorate.

Baghdad bombed

Iranian planes bombed Iraq’s biggest oil refineries in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra as ground forces held desperately to a key bridge that blocked an Iraqi tank assault on the oil refining centre of Abadan, Iran said. Iraq said fighting tapered off along its 300-mile invasion front with only 15 Iranian and eight Iraqi soldiers killed in combat. An Iranian communique said the planes raided the Doura refinery on the south-eastern edge of Baghdad and the Shuaiba refinery near Basra, causing heavy damage to both.