Thai drive on rebels

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 6

Thai drive on rebels

NZPA Bangkok The Thai Government forces have seized three big camps and killed more than 120 insurgents in an intensive suppression drive under way in southern Thailand. Field military reports reaching Bangkok said that one of the rebels’ biggest camps in the southern region was seized on Friday. night by combined police, military and special action forces engaged in the operation codenamed '“Kitirat.”

According to the reports, a large cache of arms, ammunition supplies, and Communist literature was found in the camp in Tambon Th a Ngiew in Trang province, about 1089 km south of Bangkok. The reports gave no indication of resistance on the part of the insurgents but descri■bed the camp as a big command base for the outlawed Communist Party of Thailand. The reports said more than 20 insurgents had been killed since the drive began on August h -

Government forces, who had so far suffered one dead and three wounded, had earlier seized two other big camps in the mountainous region, the reports added. A military source in Bangkok said the operation was aimed at breaking up rebel sanctuaries. . The southern region is i priority area for the Communist Party which is said to have about 8000 armed men active throughout the country.