WHILE SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES GAVE BEEN HEADING WESTWARDS ALONG HIGHWAY SEVEN, TOWARDS THE MEKONG RIVER IN THE KHMER REPUBLIC, KHMER TROOPS HAVE BEEN DEFENDING A FOUR-KILOMETRE STRIP OF THE HIGHWAY LEADING UP TO THE RIVER NEAR TONLE BET. THE HIGHWAY SEVEN BRIDGE WHICH ONCE SPANNED THE MEKONG RIVER NOW BAGS INTO THE WATER BADLY DAMAGED, BUT IS STILL BEING ATTACKED BY COMMUNIST UNITS CAMPED MAINLY ALONG THE EASTERN BANKS. IN THIS SITUATION KHMER SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN USING SAMPANS TO PATROL THE RIVER UNDER THE BRIDGE TO CHECK FOR NINES AND OTHER EXPLOSIVE CHARGES. MEANWHILE THEY, AND KHMER FAMILIES IN THE VICINITY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO CONTINUAL MORTAR BOMBARDMENT AND OTHER FIRE. COLONEL LITTAYE SUON, GOVERNOR OF THE KOMPONG CHAN PROVINCE, TOLD VISNEWS CAMERAMAN NEIL DAVIS WHEN THIS COVERAGE WAS FILMED ON FRIDAY (26 NOVEMBER), THAT WHEN THEY SOUTH VIETNAMESE ARRIVED AT TONLE BET THEY WOULD USE THE TOWN AS THEIR OPERATIONAL BASE FOR THE CURRENT OFFENSIVE IN THE KHMER REPUBLIC.

SYNOPSIS: WHERE HIGHWAY SEVEN CROSSES THE MEKONG RIVER IN THE KHMER REPUBLIC, KHMER TROOPS NAVE SEEN DEFENDING A SMALL FOUR-KILOMETRE STRIP SACK FROM THE EASTERN SANK....NEAR TONLE BET.

THE BRIDGE OVER THE MEKONG NOW SAGS SADLY-DAMAGED INTO THE WATER, AND THE TROOPS NAVE SPENT THE PAST FEW WEEKS CONSTANTLY PATROLLING UNDER IT IN SAMPANS..ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MINES OR OTHER EXPLOSIVE DEVICES SET BY COMMUNIST UNITS ENTRENCHED ALONG THE NEARBY RIVERBANKS. FOR MUCH OF THE TIME THEY HAVE BEEN HARASSED BY MORTAR AND OTHER GUNFIRE.

MANY OF THE KHMER SOLDIER LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES CLOSE TO THE BRIDGE APPROACH WHERE THEY ARE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR BOMBARDMENT
THE POSITION IS BEING OFFENDED WHILE SOUTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS NEAR TOWARDS THE MEKONG RIVER ALONG AN OVERGROWN HIGHWAY SEVEN TO LEND SUPPORT
THESE DAMAGED BUILDINGS ARE IN TONLE BET...JUST A FEW KILOMETRES EAST OF THE RIVER. COLONEL LITTAYE SOUTH, GOVERNOR OF THE KOMPONG CHAN PROVINCE, AND COMMANDER OF THE KHMER FORCES IN THE AREA, REVEALED ON FRIDAY THAT THE TOWN WELL BE USED BY THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE TROOP A THEIR OPERATIONAL ARE FOR THE CURRENT OFFENSIVE INTO THE REPUBLIC.