U.S. Out 24 Hours Early

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32336, 30 June 1970, Page 13

U.S. Out 24 Hours Early

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, June 29. The United States today completed the withdrawal of her troops from Cambodia one full day ahead of President Nixon’s deadline for the pull-out of all American forces involved in a twomonth operation against Communist sanctuaries in that country.

| Nearly 1700 American troops slogged on foot through monsoon mud to cross into South Vietnam from Cambodia’s Fish-hook sector, north-west of Saigon. About 300 American advisers remained in Cambodia with South Vietnamese units, but will leave the country tomorrow.

There are 39,000 South Vietnamese troops still in Cambodia. In Cambodia Communist

gunners launched a mortar attack against Government positions in the Siem ReapAngkor Wat region and hurled fresh ground assaults against a major Government arms depot, the Cambodian High Command said today. The mortaring near the Siem Reap-Angkor Wat area ended this morning and was termed officially as harassment.

But reports said that the attack might represent the first Communist move in a possible new offensive against Government regiments defending the provincial capital and military regional headquarters, which was partially captured one month ago. There was no official word in Phnom Penh whether any of the mortar shells fell within the ruins of the ancient Khmer Empire at Angkor Wat. But it was considered highly unlikely because most of the ruins in the area have been occupied by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong for some time.

There had been reports of

a large Communist troop movement in the same area and just to the south along the shores of Tonle Sap, Cam bodia's largest lake. N.Z.P.A.-Reuter said that as the last American soldiers pulled back into South Vietnam, reports said the Communists were stepping up their activity in the border areas.

President Nixon set tomorrow as the deadline for the United States withdrawal. Meanwhile, fierce fighting

continues at Long Vek, 24 miles north-east of Phnom Penh. i A Saigon spokesman said i yesterday that north-eastern Ratankiri Province had been abandoned to the Communists. South Vietnamese naval craft brought two battalions of Marines up the Meking River yesterday to dig in to defend Phnom Penh. The Cambodians are short of weapons, communications equipment and helicopters for their own 150,000-man army.