 Meanwhile, on the evening of December 31, the RVNAF had flown more than 50 bombing sorties against PAVN positions at the foot of Ba Ra mountain, temporarily stopping attacks from the PAVN 78th Special Forces Battalion.The PAVN responded to RVNAF attacks by rolling out their long-range anti-aircraft guns, which stopped RVNAF pilots from hitting PAVN positions until the next day, and allowing the 78th Special Forces Battalion to capture Ba Ra mountain.The capture of Ba Ra mountain enabled PAVN units to occupy the high ground areas surrounding Phước Long, where they could direct artillery fire against ARVN positions.