Former Khmer Rouge commander killed at police checkpoint

A former Khmer Rouge guerrilla leader in Cambodia, who defected to join the government forces, has been killed in southern Cambodia.

Cambodian officials said the guerrilla, Phon Pheap, was shot dead by police in an exchange of gunfire at a checkpoint he'd tried to force his way through.

They said he had been trying to smuggle contraband, but gave no details.

Phon Pheap came to prominence last year, when he appeared at a televised news conference to allege that the then first prime minister, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, was plotting to seize total power in Cambodia.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service