Rebels Win Two Major Battles

Press, Volume C, Issue 29402, 3 January 1961, Page 9

Rebels Win Two Major Battles

(N'.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) VIENTIANE, January 1. Pro-Communist troops appear to have won at least two important battles in north Laos after hard fighting today. The strategic north-central town of Chieng Khuang, about 100 miles from the administrative capital of Vientiane, fell after an eight-hour bombardment, and the Communist claim to have captured Phong Saly, near the Chinese border, has not been contradicted.

Early today, the Laotian Minister of Information announced the fall of Phong Saly and its garrison of 3000 men to a Pathet Lao attack, “supported by Chinese Communists and North Vietnam troops.” American Associated Press said that the Minister was unable to offer any proof of his statement about Communist Chinese and North Vietnamese participation and Western observers continued to maintain reservations about the Government’s invasion claims.

Peking Radio said the Leftwing forces had established a “lawful government” in newlycaptured Phong Saly province. The new Government would “put into practice the peaceful, neutral policy advocated by the Souvanna Phouma Government :n co-operation with the Pathet Lao.”

The broadcast did not clarify whether the new Phong Saly* Government was a provincial government or would be the. new seat of the Souvanna Phouma regime, ousted two weeks ago from the administrative capital of Vientiane by the United States-backed Boun Oum Rightwing forces. Earlier. pro-Communist troops under Captain Kong Lae took the important Plain of Jars (socalled because of the ancient jarlike tombstones scattered over it). The attack on Chieng Khuang was supported by Soviet Ilyushin bombers, according to some reports. The Plain of Jars is the key to attacks against south Laos and the Royal capital of Luang Prabang in the east, said American Associated Press. The town of Mong Xu, about 20 miles west of the plain on the road to Luang Prabang. has already fallen, according to Communist radio reports quoted by Reuters. Two companies of Government troops were reported to have been “annihilated.” The Communists also claim to

have wiped out a battalion of Government troops at the border town of Nong Het, about 40 miles east of Chieng Khuang. A United States diplomatic aircraft was reported to have been fired on from the ground yesterday while watching Soviet airdrops in the Chieng Khuang region, a United States Embassy source said. The same plane was shot at five days earlier while watching drops at Vang Vieng. north of Vientiane. Vientiane Radio claimed that five battalions of South Vietnam troops were attacking. Nong Het, the town which the Communist forces now claim to have taken. American Associated Press reported from Vientiane that reports flooded the Laotian administrative capital that a threepronged Communist offensive was taking over the strategic central plain of Laos. Fragmentary news reaching Western embassies indicated a strong possibility that the central plain and the city of Chieng Khuang were taken by nightfall on Saturday.