Bangkok - Armed resistance to Cambodia's Mr Hun Sen, who has had a grip on power since his coup on July 5th, suffered a major setback yesterday. His troops took control of the northwestern town of O Smach, the last base of resistance held by forces loyal to the ousted First Prime Minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Troops exchanged fierce artillery and mortar fire for several hours yesterday before Mr Hun Sen's army pushed the heavily outnumbered royalist force back to within a few hundred yards of Cambodia's border with Thailand.