The World - News from June 1, 1987
The Sri Lankan army pressed its offensive against areas held by Tamil rebels in the northern Jaffna Peninsula. Official sources put the death toll in six days of fighting at nearly 350, including dozens of civilians. The government said the bodies of 17 civilians were found near a Hindu temple two miles from the port of Valvettiturai, apparently killed after being caught in a crossfire. Militant Tamils, who are mostly Hindus, have been fighting for nearly four years for a separate Tamil homeland. Tamils complain that they are discriminated against by the Buddhist Sinhalese majority.
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