More fighting in South

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33154, 19 February 1973, Page 13

More fighting in South

CV.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SAIGON, February 18. Only hours after North and South Vietnamese officers agreed to urge an end to cease-fire violations, the level of fighting today abruptly increased.

While the four-party Joint Military Commission (J.M.C.) issued its appeal to the troops in the field, the Saigon Command reported 187 truce violations by the Communists in the 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. today. It was the highest numbe

since 188 were reported on Wednesday. Of the 187 alleged violations, 164 were committed yesterday afternoon when the appeal was i issued. Command figures! showed.

The truce agreement put an official “end” to the war on January 27. But since the truce was signed in Paris, South Vietnamese Government figures indicate that more than 8000 people have been killed, including 56 civilians. The South Vietnamese command in its report of cease-fire “violations” in the last 24 hours included a powerful Communist mortar attack on Government positions near Quang Tri. It said that two paratroops were killed and 20 wounded in the barrage in South Vietnam’s most northerly province. Communist forces fired 377 mortar bombs at seven Government outposts, it said. Elsewhere, Communist forces were reported to have lost 35 dead in an attack on a militia position near Due Pho on the central coast. Government casualties were given as onlv four killed and six wounded.

In the Saigon region, fighting was reported in Ham Nghia province, west of the capital. The Command said that militiamen clashed with guerrilla units near Due Hua, about 18 miles west of Saigon.