Ambush In Peru Leaves 6 Soldiers Dead

Guerrillas ambushed an army patrol in Peru’s northern Amazon jungle, killing six soldiers and wounding seven, the military reported today.

One guerrilla died and an undetermined number were injured in the attack Sunday in a remote stretch of jungle in La Polvora district in the department of San Martin, 290 miles northeast of Lima, an armed forces news release said.

Guerrillas opened fire on the soldiers and, after a gunfight, retreated carrying with them “an appreciable number of wounded,” the military statement said.

The statement did not say what group the guerrillas belonged to, but the Shining Path is the only group known to operate in the region.

About 30,000 people have died in fighting between the rebels and government forces since 1980.