Viet Cong Fail To Take Town

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 13

Viet Cong Fail To Take Town

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SAIGON, August 19. South Vietnamese troops met only sporadic resistance as they swept through Tay Ninh today after bitter clashes left more than 300 guerrillas dead in the strategic city and along the South Cambodian border, N.Z.P.A.-Reuter reported.

A United States military spokesman j ftia <rno>-villoc h->4 said the gneirillas had been confined to one section of the key city, which is near the j. Cambodian border and on a major infiltration route towards Saififon. 4? miles fn the north--4.5 miles to me norm west.

The South Vietnamese troops were backed by an American armoured column, the Associated Press reported. United States officers said the 500 North Vietnamese regulars apparently slipped out early today under the cover of darkness without seizing most of their important objectives in the key provincial capital of 200,000.

But senior United States sources in Tay Ninh, said that the Communist push into the provincial capital appeared to be a limited victory for the Viet Cong.

The Communist command’s plans to attack nearly a dozen allied bases in the area failed to score any important gains. The main Communist objectives in Tay Ninh—the United States military compound and the Government provincial headquarters—were never seriously threatened. The Communists captured a wedge in the eastern part of the city yesterday and this is likely to have national psychological repercussions.

United States officers at the scene said the co-ordinated attacks on a dozen allied positions within a six-mile radius of the city cost the Communists heavily, with more than 300 dead. By comparison,

over-all allied casualties were reported light. Government casualties were expected to be higher than those for the American troops. American casualties were about 100, mostly wounded. Most of the Government troops involved were Special Forces mercenaries or militiamen. think the 300 killed was probably the reason they withdrew,” said LieutenantColonel Vernon Bond, the acting senior United States adviser. “I’ll make the assumption that they were going to try to take over Tay Ninh city-” Colonel Bond said some of

the dozen prisoners captured said they had been told by higher headquarters they “were in Tay Ninh to stay." There was no firm word on civilian casualties, Colonel Bond said, but initial reports indicated they were very few. An Associated Press correspondent, Peter Arnett, reported from Tay Ninh city that from 1O ' (XX) to 15,000 refugees began returning to their homes today. But many of the refugees found them burned. About four blocks were destroyed by fire during the fierce fighting yesterday and from 150 to 200 homes were destroyed.