Vietnamese Pound Cambodia Guerrillas

Vietnamese gunners poured artillery and tank fire on Cambodian guerrillas Tuesday, a day after Thai and Vietnamese troops clashed. A Thai army officer predicted that heavy fighting between the rebels and the Vietnamese occupation forces will persist for months.

It was the eighth day of combat in and around resistance camps inside Cambodia. Hundreds of Cambodians and Vietnamese have been reported killed or wounded in the Vietnamese dry season offensive, but independent verification of the reports has been impossible.

The guerrillas said that about 20 Cambodians were killed and 40 wounded Monday night and Tuesday by Vietnamese fire near Nong Samet.

“We had to retreat from the shelling,” said Mea Saphien, a 20-year-old guerrilla. “They rained hundreds of rounds on us. We can see the pith helmets of the Vietnamese all over the place.”

Col. Chainarong Nunphakdee, deputy commander of Thailand’s task force in the region, told reporters after touring the embattled area that no respite is likely until the beginning of the rainy season. Generally, that occurs by May.