South Vietnam's border provinces of Kien Phong, Châu Đốc and Kiên Giang, as well as the southern areas of the adjacent Cambodian provinces of Prey Veng, Kandal, Takéo and Kampot, had long been used by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) for base areas and lines of communication.

One B-52 strike on 23 April 1973 north of the border between the Mekong and the Hồng Ngự stream caught a large portion of the attacking force with survivors reported seeing impressed civilians carrying the bodies of more than 100 PAVN from the area.

[1]: 45 In mid-April the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 15th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division, together with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Squadron and a Regional Forces Group countererattacked.

Although casualties were heavy, Republic of Vietnam Air Force and Navy support helped enable the ARVN troops to clear the east bank of the Mekong from Hồng Ngự to the Cambodian frontier.

[1]: 45 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.