WORLD IN BRIEF : NICARAGUA : Contras Kill 18 in Ambush, Army Says

Contras ambushed two trucks carrying soldiers in northern Nicaragua, killing 18 and wounding eight, the Defense Ministry said. The attack occurred near the village of Cerro del Mono, about 145 miles north of the capital, Managua. A ministry statement said the victims were reserve troops on their way to register to vote in the Feb. 25 national elections. There was no comment from the Contras. Sunday was the last day for Nicaraguans to register to vote. There continue to be sporadic incidents of fighting despite an agreement in March by Nicaragua’s leftist Sandinista government and the U.S.-backed Contras to suspend offensive operations.