F IGHTING between government and Khmer Rouge forces continued between Oct 5 and 12 in Kampot, Battambang and Kompong Thom, RCAF spokesman Col Yang Vuthy said.

Col Vuthy claimed the KR suffered 43 deaths with 19 wounded, 27 captured and 42 defections. He said 12 KR spies who were hiding in villages were also arrested.

He told a press conference on Oct 12 that army casualties were lower, with 10 deaths, 8 wounded, and 9 soldiers missing.

In one incident, 80 KR guerrillas from division 18 launched an offensive on three villages of Angkor Chey district, 56 km northeast of Kampot, on Oct 11. The assault lasted 90 minutes, one RCAF soldier was killed and three others wounded, he said.

"The KR came from three directions. First, they stormed Ou Rumchek village, then Mun village and third Ou DangKor village," Col Vuthy explained.

In the press conference, Col Vuthy also described how in the second week of October, the KR guerrillas attacked several districts of two other provinces, Battambang and Kampong Thom, and captured temporarily two government positions: in Mongkul Borei, 52 km northwest of Battambang and Stung, and 41 km northwest of Kampong Thom towns.

In the first attack, on Oct 7, Khmer Rouge guerrillas from Divisions 36, 18 and 415, launched a heavy offensive on Moung Russey district town, 45 km southeast of Battambang capital. "The offensive was launched first 13 km southeast of Moung Russey district town and then 13 km northwest of the town," according to Vuthy.

He said one KR guerrilla was killed in the fighting and two villagers were missing and13 others wounded in the assault.

Two days later, KR guerrillas launched attacks on government soldiers' position southeast of Mongkol Borei district town, about 52 km northwest of Battambang city, and occupied the position for more than one hour.

"We lost control of the position for one or one-and-a half hours on the day of offensive, now we have retaken it," Col Vuthy said.

He said 10 KR guerrillas were killed and 15 others injured in the raid. "We destroyed five KR motor boats and 10 other boats, but they killed seven of our soldiers and wounded two others." He said eight AK-47 assault rifles and one 12.7 mm machine gun had been seized by the KR in the raid.

The same day, a band of 30 guerrillas from division 980 and 785 attacked troops in Anglong Kranh commune in Stung district, he said. The guerillas seized control of the town for one and a half hours.

Fifteen KR were also killed in another commune of Stung district, Prolai, the same day, according to the colonel.

Meanwhile Khmer Rouge guerrillas abducted ten people, including three policemen and a soldier, in an ambush of two taxis traveling on a road linking National Route 3 down to Chhuk district town in Kampot, said Col Vuthy.

He added that he did not know the fate of the ten hostages.