Solomon Islands: Bomb explodes at Townground area

An unexploded ordinance (UXO) went off this evening, Thursday, at Town Ground, West Honiara causing a huge bang and fear within the vicinity. Reports reaching Solomon Star said, the explosion occurred closed to the Scripture Union building along the Lengakiki Read More …

Solomon Islands: Over 6k UXOs disposed off in 2024

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has safely disposed of 6,121 unexploded ordnances (UXOs) nation-wide in 2024. Of this total, 3,200 UXOs were cleared in Western Province under Operation Render Safe. Officer-in-Charge Read More …

Solomon Islands: World War II era weapons still threatening lives and development

Last century the remote Solomon Islands was the stage for some of the most intense battles fought during the Pacific campaign of the Second World War. But while Allied troops departed on the heels of victory, the military forces of Read More …

NZDF targets unexploded ordnance in Papua New Guinea

The Kiwis joined personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Papua New Guinea, the United States and United Kingdom for Operation Render Safe, an operation that has been targeting explosive remnants of war (ERW) left throughout the Pacific after the Second Read More …

ADF: Partnership safeguards Pacific communities

Australian Army engineers are providing explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to help them safely manage unexploded ordnance. The Solomon Islands, a key battleground during the Pacific campaign of World War 2, remains Read More …

Solomon Islands: NUXO team ends evaluation tour in Western and Choiseul

A team from the National Unexploded Ordnance (NUXO) Coordinating Office has successfully conducted a week-long evaluation and inspection tour across Western and Choiseul Provinces. According to Mr. Benzily Kasutaba, Director of the UXO Division under the Ministry of Police, National Read More …

Solomon Islands: World class training on UXOs delivered

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) has finished delivering world-class Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training to international partners. The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) EOD Level 2 course was conducted at Hells Point Read More …

ADF Sappers ensure Nauru is safe

A team of ADF explosives experts worked with Government of Nauru authorities to dispose of two World War 2-era unexploded ordnance (UXO) discovered in a residential area on March 18. Led by Sergeant Matthew Watson, of the 20th Explosive Ordnance Read More …

Battle continues in Solomon Islands against UXOs eight decades after WWII

More than 80 years since the Battle of Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands, communities today are still grappling with the unexploded devices left behind. The major battle in World War Two resulted in thousands of unexploded and abandoned ordnaces (UXOs/AXOs) that Read More …

Micronesia: Palau is littered with WWII munitions 80 years after the war

Palauan Sharla Paules surveys the contaminated ground of her lush tropical home island of Peleliu, still littered with WWII munitions 80 years after its liberation from the Japanese. She recalls as a child her grandmother warning the land was poisoned Read More …

Solomon Islands: 12 law enforcement officers graduate from course on handling explosives

Twelve law enforcement officers, including regional police forces and defence, graduated from the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) level 1 course at Hells Point in Honiara recently. The graduates, consisting of four officers from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Read More …

Australia: Clearance divers put to the test

The robot’s video feed showed an innocuous-looking cardboard box, but from intelligence gathered, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Buchanan knew it was time to put on a bomb suit. Earlier that day, the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group headquarters Read More …

Australia: Nations combine on mine warfare activity

The Royal Australian Navy has laid sea mines for the first time in nearly 50 years during Exercise Dugong. The mine warfare and clearance diving activity, from March 4-22, was designed to test a combined force from Australia, New Zealand Read More …

Papua New Guinea: At least 64 killed in ‘largest’ tribal clashes in the northern highlands

At least 64 people have been killed in tribal violence in the northern highlands of Papua New Guinea, according to media reports, with one police officer describing the killings as the “largest” in the Pacific nation’s recent history. The Post-Courier Read More …

Fiji: 24 RFMF military personnel to attend explosive training

In a collaborative effort between the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) and the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, 24 military personnel are set to participate in an International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) course organised by the Read More …

Papua New Guinea: At least 15 dead after major rioting and looting

A state of emergency has been declared in Papua New Guinea’s capital after at least 15 people were killed in rioting. More than 1,000 troops are on standby “to step in wherever necessary”, Prime Minister James Marape said on Thursday. Read More …

Cambodia: 14-nation ‘Pure Homeland’ mine drill concludes

Cambodia concluded the first international humanitarian mine action exercise themed “Pure Homeland 2023” conducted within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers-Plus on Friday. The first-of-its-kind multinational exercise, that began on September 13 at the Multinational Peacekeeping Force Training School Read More …

Two Nauru police officers graduate under RSIPF-EOD on IMAS level one in Honiara

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit has graduated two Nauru Police officers on International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) level one. The graduation happened today (11 November 2022) after four weeks of intensive training at Read More …