The battle for Saang [Khum Srang] (Visnews production number 1162-71)

More than one hundred guerrillas were killed by Cambodian troops on Wednesday (January 27) in the battle for Saang [Khum Srang] 18 miles (30 km) south of the capital, Phnom Penh. Four Cambodian soldiers were injured. This is the fourth time that the town, which lies on a direct Viet Cong infiltration route between Vietnam and Cambodia, has been a battleground in the 10 month old fighting in Cambodia.
In this latest battle, about 500 guerrillas surrounded Saang during the night, but Cambodian troops hit back and removed the immediate threat to the town. This action gave a boost to the morale of the Cambodian soldiers, said the news agency report. The Cambodians have been involved in a string of successful battles against the Viet Cong since the guerrillas blasted Phnom Penh airport recently. They have opened the Highway Four road link between the capital and the deepwater port of Kompong Som, and pushed the guerrillas further back from Phnom Penh. The Cambodian High Command claim the guerrillas still in the area have been dispersed into small groups incapable of launching and attack in strength.