Salvadoran rights panel cites high death toll

The Salvadoran Human Rights Commission charges that 1,535 civilians have died in political violence throughout El Salvador since the US-backed elections March 28.

The commission is considered by some observers to be an accurate source of human rights information, but others, including Salvadoran Army officials, say the commission soft-peddles atrocities by leftist guerrillas. Some rights commission members openly admit their sympathies are with the rebel cause.