RI and S'pore to clear mines

RI and S'pore to clear mines

TUBAN, East Java: The Indonesian and Singaporean navies are to
conduct a joint exercise off the coast of Tuban, East Java, from
Feb. 14 to Feb. 25, Antara reported Thursday.

The exercise will focus on mine-clearing and be held in
Tanjung Awar-awar waters in the Jenu subdistrict.

The Singaporean Navy is to be represented by two warships, RSN
Kellang and RSN Pedok, the Indonesian Navy's Information Service
said in a dispatch received Thursday.

Last December, the Indonesian Navy assembled a task force, the
TA-II/96, to locate mines laid in the waters off Jenu subdistrict
during World War II.

Two minesweepers, the KRI Pulau Rupat and KRI Pulau Ratewo,
led by Col Lily Rihadi, were used in the operation.

The team has covered 60 percent of an area totaling 32 square
kilometers. It has detected 118 possible mines at depths of one
to 30 meters.

The detection work was done in two stages: first by the two
warships, and later by the warships assisted by local fishermen
in boats equipped with detection devices from the Navy's hydro-
oceanographic service. (swe)