PAVN ATTACKS INCLUDING INCAPACITATING GAS AGAINST KPNLP POSITIONS NEAR THE KPNLF CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS AT SROCH SRANG VILLAGE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06156945
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2017
• Case Number: F-2012-01432
• Publication Date: April 4, 1980

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Intelligence Information Cable IN 4129517
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FURTHER DISSEMINATION AND USE OF THIS INFORMATION SUBJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT.
STATE/INR JCS/mC(DIA) ClA/NmCC
ShS NSA TREAS OCO
(HARD COPIES TO: NSC/S NFAC hHSITRm(pcp)).
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THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASS S E E 1--wN1NTEL--NOFURN--NOCONTRACT--ORCON
CITE
DIST 04 APR BO
COUNTRY KAMPUCHEA/VIETNAM/THAILAND
SUBJECT PAVN ATTACKS INCLUDING INCAPACITATING GAS
AGAINST KPNLr POSITIONS NEAR THE KPNLF CENTRAL
REGION HEADQUARTERS AT SROCH SRANG VILLAGE
SOURCE
1. ON 13 MARCH 1980, KHMER PEOPLE'S NAT104AL LIBERATION FRONT
(KPNLF) DEFENSIVE POSITIONS NEAR THE KPNLF'S CENTRAL REGION'S HEAD-
QUARTERS AT SROCH SRANG VILLAGE (147553), KAMPUCHEA CAME UNDER HEAVY
ATTACK BY ELEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM (PAvN) 752ND (AKA
174TH) REGIMENT SUPPORTED BY FOUR 105Mm HOWITZERS. THE ATTACKS NERE
CONCENTRATED IN THE VICINITY OF BANTEAy AmPIL wHICH IS ALONG THE
KPNLF'S FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AND IS APPROXIMATELY FIVE KILOMETERS
EAST OF THE THAI/KAMPUCHEA BORDER.
2. AT TiE TIME OF THE ATTACK, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 4,000 KHmER
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CIVILIAN PERSONNEL LIVING 1N THE VILLAGE AND THE VILLAGE WAS DEFENDED
BY ROUGHLY 1,500 KPNLF SOLDIERS ORGANIZED INTO FOUR INFANTRY
BATTALIONS. MANY OF THt ClVILIANs HAO RECENTLY MOVED TO THE VILLAGE
FROM THE KHA0 I DANo REFUGEE HOLDING AREA. PRIOR TO THE ATTACKS, THE
KPNLF LEADERSHIP WAS PLANNING TO CREATE FOUR ADDITIONAL VILLAGES
NEAR SROCH SRANG EACH 1) WHICH WOULD CONSIST OF APPROXIMATELY 3,500
CIVILIANS TO BE RESETTLED FROM THE REFUGEE CAMPS IN THAILAND. HOWEVER,
IN vlEw OF THE TACTICAL SITUATION IN THE AREA THESE PLANS HAVE BEEN
POSTPONED.
3. DURING THE FIGHTING THE KPNLF FORCES wERE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR
POSITIONS AROUND bANTEAy AmP1L UNTIL 17 MARCH, BUT WERE FORCED TO
WITHDRAW DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF AMMUNITION. DURING THE FIGHTING THE
KPNLF CLAIMED THAT PAvN HAD USED AN INCAPACITATING GAS WHICH CAUSED
THE KPNLF SOLDIERS TO BECOME WEAK AND DIZZY. THE GAS REPORTEDLY WAS
DELIVERED BY 105Mm ARTILLERY SHELLS AND WAS RELEASED IN THE FORM OF
A DARK CLOUD WHEN THE ROUNDS EXPLODED. AS OF 22 MARCH THE SITUATION
AROUND SROCH SRANG HAD STABILIZED BUT THE KPNLF DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
WERE ONLY ONE AND A HALF KILOMETERS EAST OF THE BORDER. AS OF 24
MARCH, KPNLF CASUALTIES WERE ESTIMATED AT OVER 100 KILLED, WOUNDED
OR MISSING; HOWEVER THESE FIGURES WERE NOT COMPLETE. PAvN CASUALTIES
WERE ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN 200 KILLED.
4.
THE 752ND REGIMENT,
REINFORCED By A 2UONAN BORDER SECURITY (CoNG AN)
SECdfl
COMPANY, HAD
MOVED
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.FRON, ITS bASE AT.SvAY LHEN (TA8127) INTO-THE-AREA JUST PRIOR TO TH!:.
ATTACK. THE REGIMENT'S 4TH AND tAH BATTALIONS nERE THE PRINCIPAL
UNITS INVOLVED IN THE FIGHTING orilLE. THE REGIMENT'S 5TH BATTALION
ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFENSE uF BANTEAY AmPIL AFTER IT AS
CAPTURED. PRIOR TO THE ATTACK, THE 4TH BATTALION HAD A TOTAL
STRENGTH OF (I50 MEN AND THE REGIMENT'S 5TH AND OH BATTALIONS
WERE.
ASSUMED TO BE OF EQUAL STRENGTH. FOUR 105mP HOwITZERS SUPPORTING
THE ATTACK nERE DEPLOYED IN THE VICINITY OF KANDOL VILLAGE (UA1300).
COMMENT:
NO MENTION OF ANY TOXIC AGENT BEING USED IN THE
ATTACK.) FOLLOWING THE CAPTURE OF BANTEAY AMPIL, BOTH THE 4TH AND
6111 BATTALIONS WERE WITHDRAWN FROM THE AREA FOR REST. AS OF 17 MARCH,
THE REGIMENT'S 4TH BATTALION HAD SUFFERED 40 KILLED IN THE FIGHTING.
S. THE KPNLF PLANNED TO HOLD A CONFERENCE AT SRUCH SRANG
VILLAGE ON 20 MARCH 1980 WHICH WAS TO BE ATTENDED BY KPNLF REPRESEN-
TATIVES FROM BOTH INSIDE KAMPUCHEA AND FROM THAILAND. MANY OF THE
REPRESENTATIVES FROM INSIDE KAMPUCHEA HAD ALREADY ARRIVED AT THE
VILLAGE WHEN THE ATTACKS ON THE 13TH BEGAN AND AS A RESULT WERE AMONG
THE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WHO FLED INTO THAILAND. BECAUSE OF THE
TACTICAL SITUATION IN THE AREA AND OTHER. POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS,
THE CONFERENCE WAS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. KPNLF CHAIRMAN S U N
SANN HAD PLANNED TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE BUT WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN
PERMISSION FROM ROYAL THAI AUTHORITIES TO TRAVEL TO THE BORDER.
HuwEvER, AS OF so KARcH, SON SANN HAD RECEIVED PERMISSION TO VISIT ALL
SEL;-11
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FokTHER DISSEMINATION AND UEE OF THIS INFORMATION SubJECT TO
CONTROLS STATED AT BEGINNING AND END OF REPORT
KPNLP CAmPS ALONG THE bORDER AND 1AAS PLANNING TO VISIT THE SROCH
SRANG AREA ON ApPRoXImATELY 3 APRIL.
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