“Cambodian guerrillas advance attack”
EDITOR'S NOTE – Associated Press reporter Nate Thayer was the first to travel in an area of Cambodia where guerrillas have claimed recent victories. Returning, he was wounded by shrapnel from a land mine that destroyed the truck in which he was riding and killed the driver.
By NATE THAYER
Associated Press Writer
October 16, 1989
ROUTE 69, Cambodia (AP) —Following their capture of three towns, Cambodian guerrillas have begun a coordinated attack on the only big town blocking their advance to the strategic city of Sisophon, which is controlled by the Vietnam-installed government. The guerrillas claim they already have taken frontline positions at Svey Chek. The offensive began Saturday, and all day the area reverberated with hundreds of artillery blasts.
More than 1,000 guerrillas were seen Saturday trekking on the roads to Svey Chek from the recently captured towns of Thmar Puok, Banteay Chmar and Kandoul. Following them were convoys of people carrying ammunition and more than 50 ox carts full of ammunition, mortars, rockets and anti-tank weapons.
The Khmer People's National Liberation Front claimed it seized Thmar Puok and Banteay Chmar, along Highway 69 leading to Sisophon, and Kandoul, just west of the highway, days after launching a "general offensive" on Sept. 30. A 16-hour, 94-mile tour Saturday of the towns and several captured artillery bases showed they were firmly under the Liberation Front's control. Field commanders said the Liberation Front was attacking Svey Chek in uncommon coordination with its two partners in the resistance coalition, the Khmer Rouge and the forces of Prince Norodom Sihanouk.
The guerrillas are trying to topple the government Vietnam installed after it invaded Cambodia in late 1978. Their attacks intensified after Vietnam made what it called the pullout of its last troops from Cambodia on Sept. 26. Capturing Sisophon, a major military base for operations in northwestern Cambodia, would be a major victory for the guerrillas, who have not seized any areas of such significance.
The tour began at a Liberation Front base along the Thai border south of the Dong Ruk mountains, where the guerrillas showed off captured equipment — more than 1,000 automatic rifles, heavy machine guns, mortars, many cases of anti-personnel mines and teletype machines with Soviet lettering. The journey into Cambodia was on motorcycles, with about 20 Liberation Front guerrillas. It was slow and grueling, covering roads drenched by monsoon rains. Everywhere were captured artillery positions, virtually all capable of hitting Site 2, the Liberation Front's major civilian base just inside Thailand. Three destroyed tanks, four destroyed heavy trucks and heavy artillery guns were abandoned on the roads. Everywhere were former government soldiers who had defected to the guerrilla side. The three captured towns appeared only lightly defended and there were no signs the guerrillas expected a counteroffensive.