For the Record (2)

November 17, 1980

El Salvador's ruling civilian-military junta announced a military offensive to stamp out political violence. The action will hit both right-and left-wing extremists, Jose Antonio Morales Ehrlich, one of three civilians in the five-member junta, said. He gave no details on the junta's "tough military action" but said that it was determined to prevent total chaos in the strife-torn Central American nation. Some 12,000 people have been killed this year in the undeclared civil war, say police.