Russian Sappers To Clear Remaining US Bombs From Laos - Defense Ministry

The bomb squad of the Russian Armed Forces' International Mine Action Centre will be going to Laos this month to help the country clear out remaining unexploded US bombs from the Laotian Civil War, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

KUBINKA (Moscow region) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2018) The bomb squad of the Russian Armed Forces' International Mine Action Centre will be going to Laos this month to help the country clear out remaining unexploded US bombs from the Laotian Civil War, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The assignment will last from October to March 2019, and will focus on clearing myriads of hard-to-find US bombs that pose a threat to local residents from the Laotian jungle, according to chief of the engineer troops of the Russian Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Yury Stavitsky.

"Until now, no one could or did not want to help the Lao.

Today it is time to stop the number of these victims [from increasing]. This will be done with the help of sappers of the Russian Armed Forces' International Mine Action Centre. It is also planned to train local deminers and provide them with search and personal protective equipment," Stavitsky said at the eighth meeting of the expert working group of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers and the organization's dialogue partners.

The Laotian Civil War lasted from 1960 to 1973. The United States took part in the armed conflict and provided support to the government of Laos.