500 may have died in attack into Mozambique

Press, 3 October 1979, Page 8

500 may have died in attack into Mozambique

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury Zimbabwe Rhodesian security forces have pulled out of Mozambique after a five-day raid in which they wrecked a sprawling underground complex of tunnels and bunkers spread through 64 sq km of bushland.

| Various reliable sources have put the number of guerrillas killed at more [than 500. The camp, less than 20km I from the eastern border of Zimbabwe Rhodesia. was described by the military as the main logistics and con trol base for Mr Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army. An Agence France-Presse. correspondent was one of! three reporters taken m;-, the area by helicopter. Senior military men on the opoi said they believed the camp had been set up by Soviet bloc military advisers. “They’ve learned a few] tricks of the trade,” the field commander said. "I must] say I admire the guy who! designed this, it’s wedsited.” From the air, zig-zag] trenches could be seen cut-; ting through the pattern of] the trees. Soldiers said 'he terrorists had put up a spirited resistance in which at |least two Zimbabwe Rhode-; [sian soldiers were killed.' [They estimated that several] hundred terrorists had been] killed, many of the bodies!

51 rotting undiscovered in the f bush. A soldier said prowelling hyenas had “had a great | feed.” t The operation began at f dawn on Thursday with air s strikes followed by ground s and helicopter-borne troop] assaults. “The aim of the raid was 1 the destruction of Chimoio, [base.” a senior military comHmander said, adding: “Par-I fiticularly at this time when! , we know that Z.A.N.L.A. -[military chief, Josiah Tong-I ilogara. was instructed to i]push the maximum number! ' of troops into Zimbabwe! [Rhodesia to disrupt the] .[focus of the London con-; pstitutional talks.” ti The camp area was over-; jlshadowed and defended by a; -[high ridge of hills. On top! were well-dug-in Soviet! ,120 mm anti-aircraft batteries.: '[The Zimbabwe Rhodesian] f troops who stormed up it! .[nicknamed the hill “Monte! J Casino”. i.| When one helicopter] ■ [landed on the sharp summit .'a handful of weary troops; I were holding it and! dwaiting for the; dhelicopters to lift off the

d last of the equipment. From - the slit trenches and bunktiers. the sickening smell of [decaying bodies wafted in J the hot breeze. -I Some distance away ([across the flat, tree-filled d plains, a hospital complex I with bunkers and trenches .(stretching almost a kilo- [ metre was eerily silent. '[Only the occasional crackle [of automatic weapons and [the hollow thump of grenades and bunker bombs ' used by the Zimbabwe Rhodesians to clear the area [[could be heard. i It appeared that patients [had been housed in make[shift shelters above ground. [Piles of medical supplies I from Unicef, South Africa, [and Soviet-bloc countries lit[tered the ground. I In one bunker more than [two tonnes of meal and 76 [cases of tinned foods from Canada and the Netherlands [were blown up by engineers. [ The entire area was pock- [ marked from bombs and imortars, and large sections [of the bush had been burned out. ! Military sources said that, [unlike the last raid into Mozambique about four weeks

ryago, all the resistance had -[come from Z.A.N.L.A. terrorf [ists. which surprised the n[Zimbabwe Rhodesians. In the last attack the targets included bases of the a Mozambican Army , which the '■Zimbabwe Rhodesians said s was being integrated with ■;the guerrillas. ; I The only Mozambican inj'volvement had come on Sat--1 urday night, when six So-'[viet-made T 34 tanks had _iclanked towards the camp to [do battle with Zimbabwe 'Rhodesian armoured cars. . They had been beaten off by ’(fire from a rear base, the Zimbabwe Rhodesians said. [[ Tonnes of arms and ammunition. mostly of Soviet-; Jbloc and Chinese origin, were taken out via helicop jter and truck convoy by the ; [Zimbabwe Rhodesians. i Several captured guerrillas Vindicated that Z.A.N.L.A.’s [second-in-command, Mr Rex ■iNhongo, had been in the ilcamp at the time of the at- i • [tack, but had escaped. 1 Zimbabwe Rhodesian Troops said thev had spotted r white man whom “they took ■ to be a Russian, but he had (■also escaped