Land mines, mortar found in backyard

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Kuningan, West Java

The bomb squad unit of the police Mobile Brigade has confiscated 41 landmines and one live mortar round which were recently found by a farmer in the backyard of his house in Kuningan, West Java.

Most of the explosive devices, including the mortar with its TNT (trinitrotoluene) core, date back to either the Dutch or Japanese eras, but were still active, said the chief of the bomb squad, Comr. Sumardjo, here on Monday.

The chief of the Kuningan Police Precinct, Adj. Sr. Comr. Hasanuddin, the old weapons were found by Murkim, a resident of Talalap, Citangtu subdistrict in Kuningan regency when he was digging a well in the back yard of his house last week.

"Murkim kept his findings at his house for a week because he was too intimidated to report it to the police," Hasanuddin admitted.

Hasanuddin said Murkim was actually very fortunate that he did not accidentally set any of the mines off while digging. "The landmines would have exploded if his shovel had struck any of the triggers," he said, adding that all such findings should be reported to security authorities immediately to avoid any explosions.

He said the mines, which were five centimeters in diameter and 450 grams each, would certainly have exploded if triggered.

The chief of the bomb squad of the Mobile Brigade in Bandung, capital of West Java, said the weapons would be taken to a forensic laboratory for further examination to determine their origin.

"The explosives must be investigated further to know where they were made and which group may have placed them at the site," he said.