Battle of Vientiane
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The Battle of Vientiane was the decisive action of the 1960 Laotian coups. Fought between 13 and 16 December 1960, the battle ended with General Phoumi Nosavan winning control of the Kingdom of Laos with the aid of the Royal Thai Government and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Vientiane was left devastated by the fighting, with about 600 civilians dead, about the same number of homes destroyed, and 7,000 left homeless. The losing Forces Armées Neutralistes under Captain Kong Le retreated onto the strategic Plain of Jars, to begin an uneasy coexistence with the Pathet Lao and the invading People's Army of Vietnam.
Battle of Vientiane | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
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Forces Armées Neutralistes | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Kong Le | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
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Bataillon Parachutistes 2![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
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1,200![]() ![]() | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
At least 17 Neutralistes killed | |||||||||
In Vientiane, about 600 civilians killed and 7,000 civilians left homeless; about 600 homes destroyed. |
With the northeastern quarter of Laos under communist control, the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand deepened their involvement in the Laotian Civil War.