About 3,000 people have been killed or injured in Cuba's bloodiest fighting

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A vicious house-to-house battle between rebel guerrillas, led by Fidel Castro, and the Cuban army is raging around the town of Santa Clara, the capital of the province of Las Villas.

The capture of Las Villas is a key goal for the rebel force, known as the 26 July Army, before they advance on the capital, Havana.

Despite being heavily outnumbered by the Cuban army, the rebels have enormous popular support and have won a number of significant victories.

Just a few weeks ago, they were confined to their tiny mountain stronghold at the other end of the island. Now they have advanced into a position where they are poised to take the capital itself.

The guerrillas have been fighting to overthrow the military government of Fulgeneio Batista for two years.

But in the last 48 hours about 3,000 people have been killed or injured in some of the bloodiest fighting in the history of Cuba.

The army has countered the rebel attack on Santa Clara with fighter and bomber aircraft, as well as guns and tanks.

One of the rebel leaders, Dr Ernesto "Che" Guevara, has appealed to the government commander in Santa Clara for a truce to clear the streets of the casualties.

Broadcasts on rebel radio said his appeal had been rejected.

The president is reported to be preparing to take personal command of his forces to destroy a convoy of guerrilla soldiers currently moving south from Santa Clara.

In a sign of how desperate the situation has become for the government, President Batista today removed the Commodore of the Navy's air force, Joaquin Yarela Canosa, from his post.

He was the second senior figure in the armed forces to be sacked this week. The army commander in Las Villas, General Alberto Rio Chaviano, lost his job a few days ago.

Meanwhile, amid rumours that President Batista is preparing to flee the island, two of his young sons arrived in New York, accompanied by their grandfather, Manuel Perez Benitoa.

Mr Benitoa denied that the two boys were being evacuated ahead of a government surrender, saying, "I bring them every year to see the snow."    

The expulsions come in the wake of worsening relations

It is unclear whether the figures from the Iranian Red Lion and Sun (Red Cross) Society also include previous deportations over the past weeks and months.

An Iranian Government spokesman today accused Iraq of moving thousands of people to within seven miles of the border in convoys of an estimated 1,000 buses in the last few days.

He said they were dumped in freezing weather conditions without shelter and were forced to make their own way on the final leg of their journey across the border.

It is understood most of the people were expelled from cities such as the capital Baghdad, Basra, the oil rich centre of Khanaquin and the holy city of Karbala.

Iranian police claimed they detained many Iraqi nationals, some armed with weapons and explosives, among the deportees arriving at the border towns of Khosrowi and Ghassr Shirin.

The move comes after a bitter exchange of words and actions in recent weeks.

Iraq severed relations with Iran at the start of this month after the Iranian seizure of its Gulf Islands of Abu Musa, Lesser Tunb, and Greater Tunb in the Persian Gulf.

But Iran said relations between the two countries deteriorated in 1969 because of a dispute over navigation rights in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, the jointly shared estuary of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The Shatt is economically important to both countries.

Iran has taken no action against Iraq over the latest expulsions but is said to be moving troops up to the borders.

The Red Lion and Sun Society said it had set up special camps along the borders and relief workers are on hand with aid.

staunch: firm and dependable especially in loyalty（坚定的）