Western diplomats report destruction of Afghan city

About 200 people were killed when Soviet and Afghan government forces blasted Afghanistan's second-biggest city, Kandahar, with tank and rocket fire in January, Western diplomatic sources said. They said almost one-third of the buildings in Kandahar were destroyed or severely damaged in what they described as a devastating five-day attack, beginning on January 16.

The Soviet news agency Tass dismissed reports that the city had been bombarded.