The sinking of a North Vietnamese vessel last week touched off a fresh round f fighting between Worth and South Vietnam.

Since the vessel was sunk last Thursday (20 June) by South Vietnamese forces off the coast of ???uang Tri Province, the level of fighting throughout the country has been high.

In a series of reprisal strikes, Viet Cong commandos blew up a South Vietnamese munitions and fuel depot and shelled an ARVN training camp only 15 miles (27 kms) northeast of Saigon.

The Saigon government described the North Vietnamese vessel as a munitions-laden landing craft sunk by its forces in South Vietnamese waters. But Banoi and the Viet Cong said it was a civilian cargo ship carrying 35 tons of foodstuffs and attacked in Viet Cong waters.

The Viet Cong and North Vietnam have suspended military negotiations, citing the sinking as one of the main factors.