Unexploded ammunition cache found in Gio Linh District

All the explosives have been destroyed to ensure the safety of the community.

The multi-task team No. 12 from the RENEW/NPA Project has discovered a cache containing 63 explosive devices, including artillery shells, mortars, and other weapon in Gio Viet Commune, Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province.The cache was found when the team was conducting mine clearance in a bomb-contaminated area in Gio Viet Commune on October 23. After assessing the cache, the team safely destroyed all the explosives to ensure the safety of the community.

Explosives discovered in Gio Viet commune, Gio Linh district - Photo: NPA/RENEW

The RENEW/NPA Project, funded by the governments of the United States and Norway, aims to survey and clear mines and unexploded ordnance. In recent years, the project’s staff have diligently and responsibly dedicated themselves to this challenging and hazardous work to protect local residents.In Gio Viet Commune, RENEW/NPA teams are currently working to clear over one million square meters of hazardous land in Hoang Ha Village. Since September 2024, the teams have cleared more than 355,000 square meters and destroyed 137 explosive items, 35% of which were cluster munitions.Following site clearance, parts of this land are being repurposed from acacia plantations to food crops, resettlement areas, road expansions, cemetery spaces, and farms to support agriculture and livestock.Data from the Quang Tri Mine Action Center indicates that Gio Viet Commune has seen 17 incidents caused by unexploded ordnance left from the war, with 15 of these attributed to cluster bombs.

Quang Hai - Tung Lam