- Title: LAOS: LAOTIAN FINANCE MINISTER ANNOUNCES NORTH VIETNAMESE ATTACK ON NAM BAC
- Date: 17th January 1968
- Summary: 1. MLS MINISTER SISOUK'S PRESS CONFERENCE 0.04 2. CU MINISTER SPEAKING 0.09 3. MS PICTURE OF CAPTURED COMMUNIST 0.12 4. MS SAME COMMUNIST SPEAKING 0.19 5. CU PHOTOGRAPH OF DOWNED NORTH VIETNAMESE PLANE 0.22 6. CU MAP OF BATTLE AREA 0.24 7. CU CAPTURED WEAPONS 0.27 8. CU PRESS WOMAN 0.30 9. CU ARMY OFFICER SPEAK
- Embargoed: 1st February 1968 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VIENTIANE, LAOS
- Country: Laos
- Reuters ID: LVA3FVOZJ3T13C4I9G6AH3TWA4EO
- Story Text: AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN VIENTIANE ON MONDAY (JAN 15), LAOTIAN FINANCE MINISTER SISOUK CHANPASSAC ANNOUNCED THAT NORTH VIETNAMESE AIRCRAFT RAIDED GOVERNMENT FORCES DEFENDING THE STRATEGIC NAM BAC MILITARY ENCLAVE.
TWO OF THE ATTACKING PLANES WERE SHOT DOWN BY SMALL ARMS FIRE IN SAM ??? PROVINCE, EAST OF NAM BAC AND THREE NORTH VIETNAMESE AIRMEN WERE KILLED.
THE ATTACK ON THE ENCLAVE, ONLY 60 MILES NORTH OF THE ROYAL CAPITAL OF LUANG PRABANG, FORCED GOVERNMENT FORCES TO RETREAT BECAUSE THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED BY PRO-COMMUNIST PATHET LAO AND NORTH VIETNAMESE FORCES.
NAM BAC IS A RICE RICH VALLEY WHICH STANDS IN THE WAY OF THE TRADITIONAL INVASION ROUTE BETWEEN NORTH VIETNAM AND LUANG PRABANG.
THE ENCLAVE WAS CAPTURED BY THE GOVERNMENT FROM THE PATHET LAO IN JULY, 1966.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME NORTH VIETNAMESE AIRCRAFT HAD BOMBED AND STRAFED LAOTIAN GOVERNMENT TROOPS, KILLING FOUR OF THEM.
NAM BAC'S 2,000 GOVERNMENT TROOPS WERE MISSING, LEAVING BEHIND SOLE HEAVY ARTILLERY PIECES.
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