Fighting Subsides In North As Tet Approaches

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31588, 27 January 1968, Page 13

Fighting Subsides In North As Tet Approaches

(N.Z, Press Association—Copyright) SAIGON, January 26. Fighting subsided today in the Khe Sanh sector in the north-west of South Vietnam as the hour approached for a ceasefire called by the Communists to mark the lunar Tet New Year.

The Viet Cong have announced it will begin a seven-day truce at midnight local tonight in observation of the New Year, which starts on Tuesday.

The allies have called their own cease-fire for 36 hours from 8 p.m. on Monday to 6 a.m. on Wednesday. Two United States marines

escaped from the Viet Cong and made their way back to a marine position after 19 days in captivity, the Marine Command said.

In North Vietnam yesterday, Air Force pilots hammered at truck convoys carrying military supplies destined for South Vietnam and bombed a missile site 50 miles south-west of Yen Bia. In the ground war Communist forces ambushed a Marine supply convoy taking ammunition to an artillery nosltion defending belqagured Khe Sanh, and launched three major attacks today at American bases elsewhere in South Vietnam. At least 10 Americans were killed and 68 wounded in the attacks. In one of the assaults, Viet Cong squads armed with explosive charges, broke through the defences at the

An Khe air base in the Central Highlands, and ran among buildings, aircraft and helicopters. Officials said they inflicted “moderate” damage. Tn an apparently co-ordin-ated attack, the Viet Cong struck another air base at Pleiku.

Pleiku. Spokesmen said ambushers hit a marine convoy yesterday as it approached Camp Carroll, an artillery position 15 miles north-east of Khe Sanh, and part of the interlocking defences around the base. The convoy was taking ammunition to an artillery base near the threatened Khe Sanh stronghold. Spokesmen said the ambushers killed eight marines and wounded 44 others before being driven off by United States reinforcements. The North Vietnamese also bombarded Khe Sanh with mortars and rockets yesterday, but a steady stream of supply planes and helicopters reached the base with ammunition, food and water. At least one plane was driven away by Communist ground fire. Officials reported the ambushers touched off antipersonnel mines to halt the massive convoy, then raked it with small arms and machinegun fire. There was no report on how much damage the Communists inflicted on the ammunition carried by the convoy.