World IN BRIEF : LITHUANIA : Parliament Declares Soviet Forces Illegal

The Lithuanian Parliament declared that the basing of Soviet “black beret” troops in the republic is illegal, and it described recent raids by the Soviet forces on border posts as criminal acts. There have been reports of at least 14 raids by Soviet forces on border checkpoints in the Baltics in recent weeks, and two people have died in the attacks. The customs checkpoints were put up after the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia declared independence last year, a move not recognized by the Kremlin.