The World - News from June 2, 1987

Heavy fighting has broken out in eastern Afghanistan, where Soviet and government forces have launched a major air and ground assault to cut rebel supply lines from neighboring Pakistan, Afghan rebel sources said. At least 22 guerrillas have been killed and 80 seriously injured in the attacks, which began last week, the sources said. The rebels said they had repulsed a large-scale combined ground and aerial offensive, in the Jiji region of Paktia province, inflicting heavy casualties on Soviet and Afghan troops and shooting down two jets and one Soviet-made MI-24 helicopter gunship.