Vietnam names new army chief

Fri, 11 Sep 1998 | Source: AFP

HANOI (AFP): Vietnam has named Maj. Gen. Le Van Dung as the new army chief of staff, the ministry of defense said on Thursday.

Dung, 53, replaces Maj. Gen. Dao Trong Lich, who was killed in May aboard a Lao Airforce jet which crashed near the plain of jars, killing all 28 aboard.

His nomination was confirmed on Tuesday by Vietnamese president Tran Duc Luong, the ministry source told AFP.

Dung, a southerner from Ben Tre province, was formerly the vice president of the all powerful Political Department of the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAV). As chief of staff Dung is responsible for the day to day operations of Vietnam's 650,000 strong armed forces.

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