Nicaragua Says Army Killed 127 Contras in July
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Despite a cease-fire in effect for the past four months, Nicaragua said Saturday that its forces had killed 127 Contras while losing 39 soldiers in combat in July.
A Defense Ministry statement said the Contras had also killed 29 civilians, injured 25 and kidnaped 98 in ambushes on vehicles and settlements.
An army spokesman said the troops were observing the truce and fought only in self-defense.
A spokeswoman for the Contras, however, said the rebels’ actions had been strictly defensive, charging that “the Sandinistas have constantly violated the cease-fire.â€
The death toll for government troops was the highest for a single month since the truce came into effect April 1, after government and Contra leaders signed a preliminary peace accord.
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