Operation Maharat II

Operation Maharat II
Part of Laotian Civil War; Vietnam War
Date 31 December 1972 – 5 February 1973 Location Sala Phou Khoun, central northern Laos Result Royalist capture Routes 7/13 road junction
Belligerents
Kingdom of Laos Supported by  United States	Pathet Lao Supported by:  Soviet Union  People's Republic of China
Units involved
Four Royal Lao Army battalions One Forces Armee Neutralistes battalion 11th Brigade Elements of 12th Brigade Elements of 13th Brigade Three Thai mercenary battalions Groupement Mobile 31 Groupement Mobile 203 Two M24 Chaffee tanks Three 155mm howitzers	Four Pathet Lao battalions Two PT-76 tanks
Strength
Regimental-size	Battalion-size
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Operation Maharat II (31 December 1972 – 5 February 1973) was a Royalist offensive against Pathet Lao insurrectionists during the Laotian Civil War. The Royalists planned a two pronged convergence on four Pathet Lao battalions holding the intersection of routes 7 and 13. With neither side particularly avid for combat, the situation was resolved by the Royalist reinforcement of its attack forces until the Communists faced overwhelming odds. The Pathet Lao then decamped. Operation Maharat II ended on 5 February with an artillery fire base supporting an irregular regiment occupying the road intersection. On 22 February 1973, a ceasefire took effect.