Lao, Russian army personnel remove 656 UXO items in Kasy

The International Mine Action Center of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with Lao army personnel, has removed 656 UXO devices from 18.5 hectares of land in two areas of Kasy district, Vientiane province.

Brigadier General Phaivan Chanthaphomma and Lt. Colonel Makxim Tkhachev visit a mine clearance field in Phon Ngoun village, Kasy district.

The success of the operation was reported during a visit to the mine clearance site in Phon Thieng village, Kasy district, led by the Deputy Director General of the Political Department of Laos’ Ministry of National Defence, Brigadier General Phayvanh Chanthaphomma, to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Lao People’s Army.
The areas cleared included farmland in five villages and a construction site.
The clearance unit used modern equipment to detect and destroy explosives, such as landmine detectors, depth inspection, shallow bomb detection device, and surface bomb detection device.
Since November 2023, the unit has cleared 10.1 hectares of land and located 656 pieces of unexploded ordnance, mostly cannonballs and cluster bombs.
The unit has also cleared unexploded ordnance in Borikhamxay, Khammuan and Xieng Khuang provinces, according to the Head of Russia’s International Mine Action Center, Lt. Col. Makxim Tkhachev.
Head of the Committee for Cooperation in Discovery and Disposal of Explosives, Col. Pardthana Boudthichak, expressed his gratitude to the Russian Army for their assistance and hoped for continued support.
The goal of UXO clearance is to give the land back to the people for agricultural and construction purposes, and to prevent casualties and injuries from unexploded devices, especially among children.
“Since 2018, the Laos-Russian army UXO clearance operation has surveyed 170 hectares of land and removed more than 2,300 pieces of ordnance,” Col. Pardthana said
Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita, with an estimated 80 million unexploded devices still littered across the country, posing a threat to lives and livelihoods, according to the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in Laos.
These munitions have killed or injured more than 50,000 people since 1964, and continue to claim about 100 victims each year.
The government has set a target to remove all unexploded ordnance by 2030, and has received support from various countries and organisations to help fulfil this ambition.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 22, 2024)