‘Safehouses’ Raided in Hunt for Duarte Kin

Army troops and police raided 12 guerrilla “safehouses” throughout the capital early today, capturing suspects, weapons and explosives in their search for President Jose Napoleon Duarte’s daughter and her kidnapers.

In one of the houses--about seven blocks from Duarte’s residence--police found an American-made disposable anti-tank rocket, machine guns, Israeli- and American-made automatic rifles, grenades, explosives and documents, armed forces spokesman Lt. Col. Carlos Aviles said.

Aviles decribed the documents as “important” but gave no further information about their content. Officials declined to say how many people had been detained.

Soldiers at the scene said women and children were among those living in the guerrilla safehouse in the affluent Escalon neighborhood.

Raid Lasted 6 Hours

The raid was coordinated by the Treasury Police, a key branch of the government security forces, and began at about 2 a.m. and lasted about six hours. Aviles said one the places raided was a bakery.

A top presidential aide said Wednesday security agents had raided suspected leftist rebel hide-outs searching for Duarte’s daughter and a woman kidnaped with her but found no clues. No word of her whereabouts or communication from her or her abductors has been reported.

Ines Guadalupe Duarte Duran, 35, was forced from her sedan by several heavily armed men as she arrived for classes at the New San Salvador University and taken away in a waiting van.

Her driver was fatally shot and a bodyguard critically wounded.