The World - News from Oct. 6, 1989

At least 18 young Sinhalese were beheaded or shot to death and their bodies were dumped on a Sri Lankan university campus, residents and police said. The unidentified victims’ naked bodies were found scattered around Peradeniya University near the town of Kandy, 70 miles east of Colombo, the capital. Residents said they believe the massacre was in retaliation for the killing by leftist rebels of a university official who was also a volunteer army captain. Sri Lankan human rights groups say the military and pro-government death squads routinely kill sympathizers of the Sinhalese radicals. The government denies the charge.