Angkor Wat Used By Viet Cong

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32321, 12 June 1970, Page 11

Angkor Wat Used By Viet Cong

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

PHNOM PENH, June 11.

Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops occupied part of the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat today and attacked the Siem Reap airport, scene of a Communist defeat last week-end, United Press International reported.

A Cambodian military spokesman said that fighting was “still going on” for the airport. Cambodian troops recaptured the airport last Sunday from Viet Cong, North Vietnamese and Communist-led Pathet Lao troops.

The airport is 150 miles north - west of Phnom Penh and the gateway to the ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, one of Asia’s greatest tourist attractions.

Earlier Cambodian troop commanders had said they would not fight inside the area of ancient temples for fear of destroying the shrines.

Cambodian intelligence sources said the temple area was being used as a Communist sanctuary for the attack on the airport and the besieging of the town of Siem Reap, four miles away.

Fighting In City N.Z.PA. - Reuter reported that Government forces still had control of both the airport and Siem Reap. There was still light fighting in the city itself, according to a military spokesman. The spokesman said the Government had earlier made plans to defend Angkor Wat but had been unable to carry them out because of a lack of arms and equipment “Angkor Wat is in great danger,” he said and called in international opinion to help protect the Khmer temple ruins. The spokesman said the Viet Cong had an estimated division of about 8000 men in the area.

Reports from Siem Reap said they appeared to be trying to save the runway and installations at the airport from damage.

The Government has also heavily reinforced its troops defending Siem Reap but has given no details of their strength. When the airport fell to the Viet Cong last week there were only 1000 Government troops in Siem Reap.

No casualty figures have been given in the latest fighting. But helicopters carrying Government troops wounded in yesterday afternoon’s fighting, arrived back in the Cambodian capital today.

40 Killed Communist casualties were yesterday estimated at 40 killed. The guerrilla forces were also believed to include some North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao troops. Observers believe some of the Viet Cong troops "have been pulled out of areas such as the provincial capital of Kampong Thom, 87 miles north of Phnom Penh, where the situation has quietened after bitter fighting early last week. The Associated Press reported that military officials said they suspected mixed North Vietnamese and Viet Cong pnits, which had previously been fighting round Kompong Thom, had moved west to join the attack on Siem Reap.

“This is a classical Viet Cong tactic; They take refuge in sacred places like a church or temple,” Major Am Rong, Cambodian military spokesman, told a news conference.

He appealed to journalists to raise international opinion against the fighting round the 800-year-old temples, which were the seat of a former Cambodian kingdom that encompassed nearly all IndoChina and most of neighbouring Thailand.

Elsewhere in the country the Viet Cong have launched their third attack in as many days against Labansiek in the remote north-eastern province of Ratanak Kiri.

Government planes were called in to .help repulse the latest attack yesterday morning.

Delayed reports reaching Phnom Penh said that Cambodian troops beat back an assault by some 300 Communists near Sour Kandal province, north-east of Phnom Penh, the previous night

Skirmishes had also been reported in Prey Veng, east of the Cambodian capital. Pictures of Angkor Wat are printed on page 18.

Civilians Killed

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, June 10.

Viet Cong troops overran a village in northern South Vietnam early today and killed or wounded nearly 150 civilians, United States military spokesmen said. Details of the attack on the village of Ba Ren, 13 miles south-east of Da Nang and 367 miles north-east of Saigon, were sketchy, but spokesmen said that the 5 a.m. assault killed at least 70 civilians and wounded 71 others.

They said that 156 huts had been destroyed and the village appeared to have been levelled.

Spokesmen said the raid was made by an estimated two companies of Viet Cong.