INFILTRATION EQUALISED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 17

INFILTRATION EQUALISED

CN.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, June 10. North Vietnam infiltrated 19,000 men into South Vietnam in the first four months of this year, but American and Allied forces killed about the same number of the enemy, Washington officials said yesterday.

The number of enemy killed, it was noted, includes

both North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. The officials said American and South Vietnamese forces have been able, to a considerable extent, to counter the Communist infiltration rate averaging about 4500 men a month.

There has been no change in the 3500 monthly rate of South Vietnamese being recruited into Viet Cong forces. Although one large-scale battle started this week, officials said it was still too early to say whether the Communists have, in fact, embarked upon their anticipated monsoon offensive. American units have killed 220 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in one engagement, called “Operation Hawthorne,” but the battle was not initiated by Communist forces.

The officials gave the present United States strength in South Vietnam as 260,000 in spite of reports from Saigon that 280,000 Americans are now in the country.