The World - News from June 3, 1988

Sikh extremists killed at least 36 people in the Golden Temple before it was besieged by security forces, the United News of India said, quoting Indian police. The news agency said senior police sources reported that many of the victims were tortured before being killed at the Amritsar temple, Sikhism’s holiest site. Police said they were told of the killings by some of the 200 Sikh radicals who surrendered during the 10-day siege, which ended May 18. There had been reports for months that people going into the temple to worship were being kidnaped by the militants, but the reports were not confirmed until after the militants surrendered.