Scorched landscapes across Europe have exposed a potentially lethal threat lurking underground.
Rusted bombs and mines from the First and Second World Wars are now endangering emergency crews responding to wildfires across the continent.
High heat has caused several weapons to explode in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In the Dutch province of Limburg, a bomb disposal team was called out to inspect woodland near the site of heavy 1944 combat threatened by flames.
Read more…
Source: Independent
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- UK: Suspect materials found and injured man arrested as bomb squad investigate caravan explosion
May 15, 2024
A man who was seriously injured in a caravan explosion in Cornwall has been arrested and is now under police guard in hospital. The explosion rocked the quiet village of Drakewalls on Sunday (May 12) with the bomb squad called to the scene of what was suspected to be a gas explosion. Today (Wednesday, May 15) ...
- UK: Girlfriend and mother convicted over failure to disclose Islamist terror plans
May 14, 2024
The mother and girlfriend of two Islamist terrorists have been convicted separately of failing to disclose plans for a terror attack in two different criminal trials. Girlfriend Tasnia Ahmed, 21, from Tower Hamlets in east London, failed to report her then would-be terrorist boyfriend Al-Arfat Hassan to the police despite knowing he intended to carry out ...
- Croatia to help Ukraine clear mines
May 14, 2024
Croatia and Ukraine have signed a memorandum on cooperation between the two countries’ mine action centers. The press service of the Main Department for Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety of Ukraine announced this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. “Croatia will help demine Ukraine. A respective memorandum was signed between the Center for Improvement of Mine ...
- Belgium: Explosion outside house in Antwerp suburb
May 14, 2024
A house in the Deurne district of Antwerp was the target of an attack on Monday night. An explosive device detonated outside the front door of the house in the Deurne South area. Police are investigating whether the attack, in which no one was injured, is linked to the trade in illegal drugs. Read more… Source: VRT News Sign ...
- Ireland: Area cordoned off as Bomb Squad remove viable device in Co. Offaly
May 14, 2024
The Army’s ‘Bomb Squad’ has removed a viable device that was recovered in Offaly over the weekend. Gardaí and the EOD Unit were called to the scene in Castleview Park in Edenderry on Friday afternoon at around midday. The Defence Forces says their EOD specialists will now dispose of the item, as per standard operating procedures. Read ...
- UK: Man jailed after ammunition and explosive material found at East London address
May 14, 2024
Ricky Anderson, 45 (09.08.78) of Beechwood Drive, Woodford Green appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 9 May where he was sentenced to a total of five years in prison for firearm offences. Anderson was also given a five year serious crime prevention order. He had previously been found guilty of: Possession of an explosive device/substance; ...
- Ukraine: Explosives experts neutralize enemy FPV drone discovered in Kherson region
May 12, 2024
The other day, a man called the 102 special line and reported that he had found an FPV drone with an unexploded ordnance in a field in the Kherson region. In addition to the drone, the explosive experts also found and destroyed 32 152-mm artillery shells, warheads from a multiple launch rocket system, and a 120-mm ...
- UK: Unexploded bomb found on beach detonated underwater
May 11, 2024
An unexploded bomb which was found on a beach has been detonated underwater. The coastguard and the Ministry of Defence were called to Seaham in County Durham after the device was found earlier. Durham Police said the bomb was safely destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team at about 16:00 BST, resulting in a “loud explosion”. Read ...
- Cambodia: Thuch backs Ukraine’s participation in Summit to address HRW allegations
May 10, 2024
The 2024 Ottawa Convention Conference chair Ly Thuch has endorsed Ukraine’s participation in the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World in November, amid allegations of the Ukrainian military’s use of banned antipersonnel mines. This support is in response to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) last year, which claimed it had evidence of the ...
- Ireland: Army carry out controlled explosion of suspicious device discovered in Co Kildare
May 9, 2024
The Grand Canal in Sallins, Co Kildare has re-opened again following the discovery of a suspicious device yesterday. Gardaí were alerted to the discovery of the device by the Grand Canal in Sallins, Co Kildare at approximately 3.30pm yesterday, Wednesday May 8. The services of the Army Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit were requested and a ...
- UK: Second arrest after ‘suspicious items’ found
May 8, 2024
Police investigating the discovery of “suspicious items” at a property in Barnsley have made a second arrest. Occupants of around 130 homes on Brierley Road in Grimethorpe were evacuated after items were found shortly after 07:00 BST on Wednesday. The cordon area has since been reduced to 60m, which will remain in place for 72 hours, ...
- Ukraine: 108,000 hectares of land cleared of mines since start of year
May 8, 2024
Governmental and non-governmental mine action operators have surveyed over 115,000 hectares of agricultural land since the beginning of the year, of which 108,000 hectares have been brought back into economic use. “Bomb disposal units inspected almost 35,000 hectares of agricultural land in April. More than 115,000 hectares in total since the beginning of ...
- Ukraine: Two police officers wounded while clearing mines in Kherson region
May 8, 2024
Two police officers from the Zhytomyr region have been wounded while clearing mines in the Kherson region. The Kherson region police announced this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. “In Bilohirka, two police officers from the Zhytomyr region were wounded during mine clearance work due to the detonation of a round of ammunition,” the report ...
- Italy: Unexploded WW2 bomb sparks major evacuation in Viterbo
May 6, 2024
Around 36,000 people will be evacuated from their homes in the central Italian town of Viterbo on Tuesday while army experts defuse a massive unexploded bomb left over from world war two. The long-lost bomb is one of the biggest ever found in Italy and was unearthed during construction works in the town, located about 100 ...
- Crazy footage shows Russian helicopter destroying Ukrainian USV carrying R-73 missile
May 6, 2024
A Russian Kamov Ka-27 Helix helicopter destroyed a Ukrainian USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) that was carrying an R-73 air-to-air missile. Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), also referred to as “drone boats” or “drone vessels”, have emerged as a significant threat to Russian warships in the Black Sea. These USVs are equipped with advanced capabilities that enable ...