October 11, 1969

By FRANK SOLER

A Cuban exile organization Friday claimed a group of its commandos recently landed in Cuba and clashed three times with Cuban government forces.

The Miami-based Second Front of Escambray claimed the commandos landed from a boat on the north coast of easternmost Oriente Province Sept. 6 and moved inland to establish contact with anti-Communist elements in the area.

ARMANDO FLEITES, military commander of the group, said the infiltrators fought three battles with Cuban soldiers shortly afterwards.

The Cuban government has made no mention of either the landing or the clashes claimed by the Second Front nor has there been any other independent confirmation.

Fleites said the commandos killed two soldiers and wounded several others during the first skirmish Sept. 18 near the city of Baracoa. He said a commando officer, Jose Antonio Quesada, 40, was captured by the Cuban troops. He introduced Quesada's wife, his young son and daughter to newsmen. The three appealed for Quesada's life.

FLEITES SAID the second encounter with Cuban troops took place near the Quivijan River in Oriente on Sept. 21 when the commandos were confronted by four soldiers. He said three of the soldiers were killed and the fourth forced to flee.

On Sept. 29, Fleites said, Cuban soldiers attacked the commandos who fought them off with grenades and machine-gun fire.

The purpose of the commando infiltration, according to Fleites, was to establish contact with the underground in the island and to coordinate operations against the Castro government.

He said the penetration was not reported sooner "because we wanted to be absolutely certain that what we said was true. It has all been fully confirmed by our sources in Cuba."