James Hilsum
The most bombed country in history has been revealed, with an unbelievable 55 bombs dropped per minute over nine years.
Its identity may come as a surprise to some, but the south-east Asian nation of Laos holds the unwanted title as the most bombed country in history.
The nine-year period came between 14 December 1964 and 19 March 1973 as part of the Vietnam War.
This US-led operation was held in Laos to prompt North Vietnam to stop its support for the insurgency taking place in South Vietnam.
Laos was chosen due with the southeastern part of the country running on the Ho Chi Minh Trial, which served as a vital logistical corridor for the North Vietnamese forces.
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The country is still reportedly dealing with thousands of unexploded bombs in rural areas, a long time after fighting has ceased.
The country now has one of the largest unexploded ordnances in the world, serving as a grim reminder of the bloodshed which plagued the country through the 60s and 70s.
Laos became a valuable ally to North Vietnam due to its rugged and heavily forested terrain, which allowed the communist forces to travel south and give crucial supplies to the insurgent Vietcong forces.
The country was suffering with its own instability, as the Pathet Lao took part in a civil war with the Royal Lao Government.
US forces responded to the situation on the ground with a series of airstrikes against targets from the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese targets.
They also trained and equipped the ethnic minority highland people, including the Hmong, to fight against the Pathet Lao and halt the North Vietnamese progress.
However, nothing could be done when the North Vietnamese Army effectively destroyed the Royal Lao Army’s fighting capabilities by launching a widespread attack on several of its divisions in 1968.
The US bombardment of the Ho Chi Min Trail killed thousands of villagers and destroyed much of the countryside in the area.
It is estimated that roughly two million bombs were dropped during the nine-year period, but approximately a third failed to detonate.
It is because of this sustained attack that Laos holds the title of being the most heavily bombed country in the world in relation to its population.
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