Cambodia's important river town of Kampong Cham is in danger of being isolated following today's (Saturday) attack by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. A military spokesman in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh said the situation in the town was deteriorating and the fall of Kampong Cham to the Communists could knock out one of the two major ferry crossing across the Mekong River, Cambodia's main waterway.

The town of Tonle Bet, on the opposite bank of the river, os also under attack.

The danger to Kampong Cham was highlighted by reports that pro-Communist Cambodian forces were also operating with Communist guerrillas west of the town. The actual strength of the Cambodians was not known, but they could cut off the river town from the rear.

The Communist attacks on the two towns began just before dawn. The nature of the fighting made a casualty count unreliable, but observers say there are many dead on both sides.