Cambodians take key position

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33580, 8 July 1974, Page 13

Cambodians take key position

CN.Z. Press Assn— Copyright) PHNOM PENH (Cambodia), July 7. Cambodian soldiers told field reporters today they had killed more than 100 Khmer Rouge insurgents in the last few days and captured a key pagoda in a drive north of Pimom Penh. They did not give their | own casualties and there was no way to confirm their; claims. However, reporters saw the! capture of about 30 insurg-; ents yesterday after heavy fighting and Government air; strikes. The Government drive on! Highway 5, which began al month ago, has cleared the Tonle Sap River and is designed to retake Oudong, an ancient provincial town that; fell in the middle of March.! The loss of Oudong, a royal capital in the seven-1 teenth century, was con-' sidered a major psychological setback for President Lon; Nol’s Government because of its historical and religious importance. Reports said Government: troops surrounded and cap-; tured the Chet Dei Thmei pagoda, 20 miles north of' Phnom Penh, and were' about a mile from Oudong. They were facing stiff resistance as they closed in on the town. The Saigon Military Command said today that Government pilots reported killing 64 Communist troops north of Saigon, where Communist and Government forces have been locked in a

battle for strategic outposts since May. Government fighter bombers yesterday flew 39 strikes against Communist positions near the district town of Ben Cat, 25 miles north of Saigon.