The World - News from June 10, 1987

Afghan rebels said they killed 80 Soviet troops in a May 30 attack on a camp in northern Afghanistan. Some Western diplomats were reportedly skeptical of the rebels’ claim, however. The death toll would be among the Soviets’ worst for a single attack during the seven-year war. The rebels also claimed to have downed at least 29 military aircraft in May, including one carrying 12 Afghan pilots, all of whom were reportedly killed in the crash. Western diplomats reported intense fighting around the capital of Kabul in the last week as the guerrillas began returning to mountain hideouts vacated during the winter. No independent confirmation of the reports was available.