Fighting in Belfast Takes Eight Lives

BELFAST--Eight persons, including a retarded 15-year-old Cathoic body shot in his bed, died in continuing violence Wednesday and Thursday in one of the bloodiest 24-hour periods since a two week ceasefire ended Sunday.

British officials have been studying a new truce offer from the Irish Republican Army. Seams Twomey, chief of the IRA's provisional wing in Belfast, said the provisionals would be willing to negotiate a new ceasefire with William Whitelaw, secretary of state for Northern Ireland, provided British forces promise to honor the truce.

Twomey said Whitelaw was a blatant liar in saying the provisionals broke the truce in an outbreak of shooting between them and British forces Sunday.

British officials said Whitelaw was studying the truce offer "with caution."