News In Brief

Sri Lanka extends curfew; US envoy discusses violence

Authorities extended a curfew in northern Sri Lanka Monday as a special US envoy, Gen. Vernon Walters, conferred with senior government officials on the recent upsurge in separatist guerrilla violence which has claimed some 400 lives in the last three weeks.

The extension was designed to help Army troops carry out a major sweep against the Tamil guerrillas, who are fighting for an independent state in the north and east of this island nation. More than 300 suspected rebels were reported arrested in Jaffna over the weekend.

Sri Lanka is reportedly seeking a supply of US military equipment to combat the gurerrillas.