Casualties high in fighting between Afghans, Soviets

Afghan rebels just south of the Soviet border attacked Russian troops conducting a house-to-house search for men to draft into the Army and killed 50 to 100 of the Soviets, a Western diplomat said Tuesday.

Rebel casualties were also said to be high. The Soviets reportedly retaliated with bombing raids on civilian villages, causing heavy casualties and destroying crops and livestock, the diplomat said.

The report also said anti-Soviet Afghan rebels blew up a Kabul restaurant filled with Afghan secret police on Aug. 23, killing 10 and injuring seven of the officers.