New fighting broke out this week between Jordanian troops and Palestinian guerrillas near the North Jordan town of Ramtha. The Arab peace mission met in Amman yesterday (20 October) and called for an immediate ceasefire.

The scene of the fighting is a group of five villages near the Syrian border, through which the guerrillas move their arms and supplies. The villages have been held by the guerrillas since last month's civil war.

The guerrillas claim the Jordanian Army attacked the villages to stop them using the main Damascus-Amman road as a supply route. Instead the guerrillas have been bringing in supplies along minor roads.

During the fighting most of the villagers have stayed out of sight, dodging most of the shellfire and suffering occasional casualties.

The guerrillas have been fighting back with Chinese and Russian-manufactured heavy rockets. If the villages fall to the Jordanian Army the supply position for the guerrillas in Northern Jordan and Amman will become critical.