For nine years, a covert CIA-run operation called “Operation Barrel Roll” dropped more than 580,000 bombs on Laos.
The US was trying to stop North Vietnamese forces from transporting weapons and soldiers through Laos.
But the bombs’ impact continued long after an estimated 80 million bombs were dropped but failed to detonate.
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Between 1964 and 1973, the US dropped about 2 million tons of bombs on Laos in a covert campaign known as”Operation Barrel Roll.”
The CIA covertly executed the bombings, which is referred to as the US “secret war” on Laos.
The bombings were indiscriminate. They killed about 200,000 people in Laos, which was around 10% of the country’s population. Another 400,000 people were wounded and 750,000 people were forced to flee due to the devastation.
Here’s what happened and why the bombs are still hurting Laos today.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-operation-barrel-roll-secret-us-bombing-on-laos-2023-9