The World - News from Feb. 9, 1987

Tamil separatist guerrillas stormed a village in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province and massacred 28 people of the majority Sinhalese community, official sources said. A member of Parliament, Pathkirige Dayaratne, said all the victims, including 10 children, were hacked to death. He said the rebels, fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils, raided Arantalawa village, 130 miles east of Colombo. He said the killings appeared to be in retaliation for a security forces offensive in a nearby guerrilla stronghold last week. The government denied accusations by residents that 200 Tamil civilians were killed in the assault.