U. S. Helicopter Losses Reach 48; Fighting Rages in Southern Laos

As new reports continued to pour in throughout the night concerning a fierce battle around the Laotian town of Sepone, an additional 2000 South Vietnamese troops joined the fight in Laos.

U. S. air strikes are adding strong support to the South Vietnamese infantrymen in what Saigon has termed their deepest and most important advance of the Laotian invasion.

Five more American helicopters were shot down yesterday in Southern Laos, one of them in the Sepone region. U. S. military officials said that these losses have raised the number of U. S. helicopters destroyed in the last three days to 16.

48 Copters

Since the Laotian campaign began February 8, 48 helicopters and two jet fighter-bombers have been destroyed.

An Associated Press correspondent reported that almost 2000 more U. S. troops have moved into the northern-most Quang Tri area of South Vietnam to replace South Vietnamese forces recently shifted to Laos. The movement of U. S. forces has increased the number of Americans in that province to between 12,000 and 15,000 men.

Hanoi's Vietnam News Agency said Saturday that 20 South Vietnamese tanks or armored cars were destroyed, and two captured in fighting Thursday. The Pathet Lao said that over 60 allied soldiers had been killed or wounded in the fighting.