Conversation so far:
what is the difference between the northern vietnamese army and the vietcong
The North Vietnamese Army (NVA or PAVN) were the formal army of North Vietnam while the Viet Cong was the guerrilla Army of South Vietnam.
where did the phrase viet cong for the guerilla army originate
The phrase Viet Cong comes from the phrase cong san Viet Nam, meaning Vietnamese communist, and denotes only southerners who supported the communist cause.
what are the origins of the viet cong
The Viet Cong arose after the defeat of the French colonial forces at Dien Bien Phu, which prompted the United States to become gradually more and more involved in Vietnam.
what kind of tactics were employed by the viet cong
Many Viet Cong tactics employed were absolutely brutal. They took rice from villagers at gunpoint, carried out incredible numbers of targeted assassinations against people who supported the South Vietnamese government.

Question: how many civilians were killed
Self-contained rewrite: how many civilians were killed by the viet cong