Four primary school boys aged 10 to 13 were injured, two seriously, after playing with unexploded ordnance in Siem Reap, Chi Kraeng district police chief Touch Sakol said yesterday.

The accident occurred on Tuesday, about 150 metres from Pongro primary school, where the boys are students. During a class break, they wandered away from the school perimeter and found the device, which they began to hit with sticks, explained Sakol, adding, “They didn’t know that it was unexploded ordnance.”

While Sakol was unsure of the type of weapon, a photo appeared to show the remnants of a rocket-propelled grenade. Chi Kraeng has had a long history of violence dating to the civil war and was host to a nearby military base.

After the rocket detonated, nearby villagers rushed to the scene and took the boys to the Jayavarman VII hospital.

“Two of them were seriously injured on their hands and legs. The other two have minor injuries and are alright now,” Sakol said.