WORLD : Curfew in El Salvador Eased

SAN SALVADOR — The government eased a dusk-to-dawn curfew throughout El Salvador today while troops continued to battle leftist rebels outside the capital, the armed forces said.

The 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that took effect Nov. 12, the day after the rebels launched a major rebel offensive, was reduced by five hours from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., an armed forces spokesman said.

The curfew was eased across the country to make Christmas more enjoyable and in recognition of the strain it put on working Salvadorans, he said.

Easing of restrictions coincided with a weekend without fighting in the capital, the spokesman said. “But it doesn’t mean that combat is not going to continue,” he told Reuters.