The Battle of Lộc Ninh was a major battle fought during the Easter Offensive during the Vietnam War, which took place in Bình Long Province, South Vietnam between 4–7 April 1972.

On 30 March 1972, two North Vietnamese Army divisions smashed through the Demilitarized Zone, marking the commencement of the Easter Offensive.

They quickly overwhelmed South Vietnamese units in the I Corps Tactical Zone.

With the rapid collapse of South Vietnamese forces in the northern provinces of South Vietnam, North Vietnamese and Việt Cộng forces began preparing for their next offensive, targeting Bình Long Province in the rubber plantation region north of Saigon.

On 4 April, the Việt Cộng's 5th Division opened their attack on Lộc Ninh, defended by the ARVN 9th Infantry Regiment.

After three days of fighting, the vastly outnumbered South Vietnamese forces, though well supported by American air power, were forced to abandon their positions in Lộc Ninh.

The fight cost both sides dearly. The true extent of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese casualties is largely unknown, but due to their exposure to American firepower, the Communist forces undoubtedly suffered heavy losses.

Nonetheless, the successful capture of Lộc Ninh exceeded Communist expectations, as they had thought that the South Vietnamese would hold out longer.

Lộc Ninh became the seat of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, the capital of Communist-occupied territories in South Vietnam.

The South Vietnamese, in their efforts to hold the district, lost more than three thousand soldiers killed or captured; only about fifty soldiers actually reached An Lộc.

The Viet Cong also captured all seven American advisers and an embedded French journalist, Yves-Michel Dumond, in Lộc Ninh; they were taken to a prison camp in Kratié Province, Cambodia.

Dumond was released on 14 July 1972. On 12 February 1973, the Americans were released in accordance with the Paris Peace Accord.

As Lộc Ninh was succumbing, other Communist formations turned their attention to the provincial capital of An Lộc.

At 9 am on 7 April, Brigadier General Lê Văn Hưng ordered Task Force 52 to abandon its bases, destroy all heavy weapons and vehicles, and withdraw to An Lộc, following their failed attempt at reinforcing the 9th Infantry Regiment.

As Task Force 52 tried to break through National Highway 13, they ran into another large Viet Cong ambush.

It would take the soldiers of Task Force 52 about a week to reach An Lộc, infiltrating through Viet Cong and North Vietnamese positions along the main road.

Late on 7 April, the Viet Cong's 9th Division attacked Quan Loi airfield, just 3 kilometres north of An Lộc.

Elements of the ARVN 7th Infantry Regiment defending the area were unable to hold off the Viet Cong, so they were ordered to destroy their equipment and join other South Vietnamese units in the provincial capital. The next step in the North Vietnamese offensive was the "Battle of An Lộc"

The South Vietnamese Army lost approximately 2000 killed and almost 1900 captured. Only 50 soldiers reached An Loc.

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