RHODESIA: GOVERNMENT FORCES KILL 31 AFRICAN NATIONALIST GUERRILLAS IN BORDER BATTLE--THE HIGHEST SINGLE-CLASH DEATH TOLL IN THE FOUR-YEAR WAR.

Record ID: 378204

  • Title: RHODESIA: GOVERNMENT FORCES KILL 31 AFRICAN NATIONALIST GUERRILLAS IN BORDER BATTLE--THE HIGHEST SINGLE-CLASH DEATH TOLL IN THE FOUR-YEAR WAR.
  • Date: 18th November 1976
  • Summary: 1. AERIAL V Rhodesian - Mozambique border territory 0.08 2. GV Helicopter landing near army base 0.16 3. GV Animals outside base, ZOOM BACK TO SHOW troops and captured weapons (2 shots) 0.27 4. CU Captured rifles, bullets and automatic weapons (3 shots) 0.27 5. SV Troops inspecting captured weapons (3 shots) 1.00 6. SV Newsmen PAN TO body of dead guerrilla leader (3 shots) 1.18 7. EV CU Troops chatting (2 shots) 1.25 8. CU Ex-British soldier, Corporal Bob Smith gives account of anti-guerrilla raid 1.57 COLE: "What happened when you made this contact?" SMITH: "well we came under fire from a group of terrorists above us somewhere and we went to ground while a group on the right, a stick on the right killed one of the terrorists on the right. I then heard movement in the bushes to my left and I opened fire on the terrorist. I then moved up -- I thought he was dead -- I moved up to make contact with him. I heard him cocking his weapon. I fired again into the bush. We then circled and found him about five minutes later. He had been hit through the leg and must have bled to death through the femoral artery." Initials BB/0400 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 3rd December 1976 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RUDA ARMY CAMP, & RUSAPE POLICE STATION, NEAR MOZAMBIQUE BORDER, RHODESIA
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVA2P84WTOUYN7HBGVZ56ZMTC7ED
  • Story Text: In Rhodesia, government forces killed 31 African Nationalist guerrillas in a battle near the border with Mozambique, it was announced on Wednesday (1 November). The death toll is the highest in any single clash in the four-year old war.

    SYNOPSIS: The guerrilla group was attacked inside Rhodesia on Monday (15 November, about six miles (10 kms) from the border and less than 12 hours after it had crossed the frontier. Newsmen were told that helicopters were used and the battle lasted 12 hours.

    The Rhodesians suffered only three casualties, one of them fatal. They captured a hoard for weapons left behind by the guerrillas. The arms went on display at the army camp at Ruda, an eastern border settlement near where the battle occurred. The weapons included 32 Chinese-made rifles, boxes of stick grenades, a rocket launcher and a large supply of Soviet-made rockets, as well as mortars and a mine. The guerrilla force was located at dawn and pinned down in thick bush round a rocky hill. Senior officers said the group was probably on a supply operation form their base in Mozambique.

    Earlier, newsmen were shown the body of a dead guerrilla section commander killed in another engagement. It was displayed at the police depot in Resape on the road to Salisbury. His group was held responsible for the killing of a white farmer last September.

    A former British soldier, Corporal Bob Smith spoke to the BBC's Michael Cole about the border battle:
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