 In the villages of Rach Kien, Bung Cong, and Rach Bap, all were declared free-fire zones as villagers were declared VC and hostile civilians captured were classified as Chieu Hoi or detainees.Even though the VC suffered a serious setback, its members swiftly managed to reestablish their domination over the Iron Triangle.Two days after the operation's termination, VC forces reentered the Iron Triangle, and within ten days the area was, according to an official US report, "literally crawling with what appeared to be Vietcong."