Trove of Unexploded Shells Unearthed at Pagoda Pond

Government deminers have unearthed more than 10 unexploded mortar and rocket shells from a pond at a pagoda in Siem Reap province, officials said on Wednesday.

The first piece of unexploded ordnance (UXO) was found on Thursday last week by a military engineering unit tasked with excavating the pond at Wat Kantuot Khna Krao in Svay Loeu district’s Kantuot commune, which had become filled in with mud, according to commune police chief Hong Kun.

After making the discovery, the unit informed the state-run Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), whose staff spent the next five days at the site, unearthing a trove of civil war-era munitions, Mr. Kun said.

“The CMAC experts already cleared the UXO from the bottom of the pond, but there are more UXO underground around the pond,” he said, explaining that he had witnessed significant fighting in the area as a young man.

The haul included four B-40 shells, one B-41 shell, one DK-82 shell, three anti-personnel mines and a CKC rifle, according to acting district police chief Soun Ang.

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