Post photographers Giovanni Diffidenti and Franck Nolot show the full horror
of war with these photos - and its lighter side. They were taken during an
arduous and highly dangerous five-day trek with government troops advancing into
the newly-captured Khmer Rouge base at Pailin.
Heavily-armed special
forces men stroll in Pailin, above.
A government tank reaches the landmark
temple at Pailin, left.
Fleeing KR cadre apparently defaced this picture,
below left, of what appears to be a meeting with a Thai official, right.
Franck emerges from a foxhole, below, after taking cover during a KR attack
along the trail.
Opposite: A government soldier tries to block out the pain
in Battambang Hospital, above, as he struggles to comes to terms with losing his
lower left leg in a mine explosion during the offensive, top left.
A government tank on which Franck was traveling stands crippled after running
over a mine, top left. Two soldiers died and six were injured. Franck was
unhurt.
Soldiers peruse gem catalogues at the captured KR mining village Sala Krau,
second from top left.
Sala Krau defenders inspect a KR corpse after beating
off a guerrilla attack, second from top right.
Government soldiers are now
Pailin's only occupants after KR fighters and their families fled, second from
bottom left.
Artillery opens up on Khmer Rouge positions at a government battery on the
trail, bottom left.
One wag lightens the mood during the march by sporting a
high-camp parasol, bottom right.
