LAOS -- AND A TASK FORCE OF NEUTRALIST AND RIGHT-WING TROOPS HAS RECAPTURED TWO IMPORTANT POSITIONS FROM THE PRO-COMMUNIST PATHET LAO ON THE PLAIN OF JARS, IN CENTRAL LAOS.

THE SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS WERE LAUNCHED IN THE MUONG KHEUNG AND BAN THIENG REGIONS -- FORMERLY HELD BY THE NEUTRALIST FORCES -- ABOUT 95 MILES (152 KMS) NORTH OF VIENTIANE, THE LAOTIAN CAPITAL.

ABOUT 30 OF THE PATHET LAO WERE KILLED AND SEVERAL OTHERS WOUNDED. GOVERNMENT FORCES CASUALTIES WERE TWO DEAD AND 12 WOUNDED. WOMEN FOLK IN BAN THIENG GAVE THE GOVERNMENT TROOPS AND CORRESPONDENTS A WARM WELCOME AS THEY RE-ENTERED THE TOWN.

AMERICAN-MADE CANNON AND FOUR SOVIET-BUILT ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS AND MANY TRUCKS WERE CAPTURED. SEVERAL CRATES OF AMMUNITION, SUCH AS MORTAR SHELLS AND HAND-GRENADES, WERE ALSO SEIZED.

DURING THE OFFENSIVE, 30 CAPTURED PATHET LAO TROOPS DEFECTED TO THE GOVERNMENT FORCES AND JOINED IN THE ACTION AGAINST THEIR FORMER COMRADES.

MEANWHILE, THE LEADERS OF THE THREE LAOTIAN FACTIONS ARE PREPARING FOR A TRIPARTITE MEETING, DUE TO BEGIN IN PARIS NEXT MONDAY. THEY INTEND TO DISCUSS THE MAKE-UP OF A LAOS DELEGATION TO A NEW GENEVA CONFERENCE.