More than 150 unexploded ordnance and landmines were found yesterday morning in a rice field in Siem Reap town.

Chea Hanh, a member of CMAC’s Demining Unit 6, said a soldier called in deminers after stumbling across three UXO.

“We immediately visited the scene and softly dug about half a metre into the ground with a hoe, where we found 76 B40s, four B41s, seven anti-tank landmines and 69 bullet containers,” he said, adding that the cache likely dated back to the Khmer Rouge era.

Mean Sarun, manager of Unit 6, said the UXO appeared on the surface of the field following rain and that none were capable of going off.

“Those UXO were covered with rust and dirt for years and couldn’t be used anymore,” he said, adding that the cache would be destroyed today.

Already, approximately 1,000 UXO and landmines have been uncovered and destroyed in Cambodia this year, according to CMAC figures.

To contact the reporter on this story: Phak Seangly at [email protected]