- In the Central Highlands, facing the situation of the enemy bringing the entire 23rd Division to Dak Lak, the Campaign Command realised that the opportunity to destroy a large number of enemy troops had come and requested Division 10 to concentrate its forces to destroy all enemy troops concentrated in the Nong Trai-Phuoc An area, with a total force of about 5,600 soldiers.
On the same day of March 16, Battalion 6 of Regiment 24 attacked and destroyed the enemy group in Nong Trai, the remaining enemy troops had to flee to Phuoc An.
On the night of March 16 to the morning of March 17, with the effective support of the campaign artillery group, Regiments 66 and 149 of the Central Highlands front from two directions broke through and destroyed most of the enemy troops at the base of Regiment 53, took control of the base, and then developed to destroy the enemy’s B50 stronghold.
- On the Binh Tuy-Long Khanh direction, on March 16, the 6th Division of Military Region 7 coordinated with local forces to attack and liberate the Route 3 area, from Hoai Duc to Gia Ray, Ong Don intersection, Hill 52 (Long Khanh), Suoi Cat, Route 3 base, Route 1 Base, Route 4 Base Long Khanh and Route 10 Base Binh Tuy.
- Upon receiving news that the enemy had withdrawn from Kon Tum, General Vo Nguyen Giap - Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defence, Commander-in-Chief - immediately called the Central Highlands Campaign Command to request deployment to attack the retreating enemy.
- At 7:00 p.m., General Van Tien Dung, representative of the Politburo and the Central Military Commission at the Central Highlands front, called the Commander of the Central Highlands Campaign Hoang Minh Thao to order the troops to pursue. The Campaign Command ordered the 320th Division to quickly organise a pursuit to destroy all the retreating enemy troops, and at the same time requested the Phu Yen local troops to block the enemy in Cung Son.
- At 9:00 p.m. on March 16, two hours after receiving the order from above, the 320th Division quickly moved to the southeast of Cheo Reo to block the enemy from retreating.
