Co-Premiers’ Forces Clash at Naval Base

Factions loyal to prime ministers Hun Sen and Prince Norodom Ranariddh battled with mortars and rocket launchers near the capital, Phnom Penh, in their second armed clash in two weeks. Rising tensions between the premiers have paralyzed the government and derailed peace talks with Khmer Rouge rebels, who reportedly have captured their longtime leader, Pol Pot. The clash began at a naval base about 20 miles north of the capital. Two hundred men loyal to Hun Sen surrounded the base, whose 40 to 100 troops are aligned with Ranariddh. The fighting was believed to stem from accusations from members of Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party that a general loyal to Ranariddh was assembling former Khmer Rouge rebels to attack them.