Military operations carried out by South Africa against the People's Republic of Angola during 1980 showed a total increase of 69 per cent compared with 1979, according to a press release issued by the Angolan Embassy in France on 20 March 1981.
During 1980, South African armed forces carried out * 931 reconnaissance flights * 58 bombing raids * four parachute drops * 17 landings of heliported troops * eight incidents of artillery shelling * six ground attacks * seven ground reconnaissance operations * 23 concentrations of troops and war material * 55 incidents of strafing from the air * three kidnappings
The most large-scale operation carried out by South African forces in 1980 was the invasion of southern Angola in June (Operation "Smokeshell").
The main target zones of South African attacks were in the southern provinces of Kuanda Kubango, Kunene and Huila.
The casualties inflicted by these attacks were as follows:- * 55 members of the Angolan armed forces (FAPLA) killed * 66 members of the armed forces wounded * 27 members of the armed forces reported missing * 16 members of the people's militia (ODP) killed * 21 members of the ODP wounded * 46 members of the ODP reported missing * 136 civilians killed * 84 civilians wounded — a total of 209 dead, 171 wounded and 73 missing persons. In addition, * 40 civilian and military vehicles were destroyed * seven anti-aircraft guns were reported missing.
Hospitals, schools entire villages and crops were destroyed, and cattle killed.
The Angolan army, for its part, inflicted heavy losses of both men and material on the South Africans, including the shooting down of two helicopters, three Mirage jets and two Impala MK 2s.
Over the three years 1978-1980 inclusive, 1,800 people have been killed in Angola, the majority of them civilians, including refugees, and 3,000 have been wounded. Material damage to Angola as a result of South African aggression since 1975 is estimated at more than US $7 billion.
South Africa continued its attacks on Angola during the Pre-Implementation Conference on Namibia held in Geneva in January 1981. On 15 January, the day the Conference collapsed, South African forces attacked the township of Cuamato in Kunene province.
Following the collapse of the Conference, South Africa indicated its intention to step up attacks on neighbouring states. Major General Charles Lloyd, Commander of South African forces in Namibia, told a group of foreign journalists in February that he would step up operations into Angola against guerilla bases of SWAPO even if it meant clashes with Angolan government forces. The South African Prime Minister also stressed during an election speech that South Africa would carry out more raids if they were in the interests of the country.
