Nam yuen: Expedite the survey of the village where bullets and unexploded bombs were found. In the rush to recover a BM-21 explosive device that fell in a village in Nam Yuen District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, officials are expediting a meticulous plan to completely dispose of the explosive device and ensure 100% safety, ensuring residents can safely return home.
According to Thai News Agency, local administrative officials, police, and community leaders are rushing to survey eight villages hit by shelling after Cambodia violated the agreement and launched a barrage of fire. Surveys have been completed in two villages and 15 out of 24 locations. Four BM-21 shells were found in good condition and ready for use. Meanwhile, on the second day of the BM-21 ordnance disposal operation in Nam Yuen District, officials from Nam Yuen District, Nam Yuen Provincial Police, the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Police Investigation Division, and the 22nd Border Patrol Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit jointly planned their entry into the area and began the survey and disposal operation at 10:30 a.m. until now.
Police Colonel Krit Promdee, Superintendent of Nam Yuen Police Station, revealed that today marks the second day of operations. 24 artillery shells were found in the Nam Yuen area, and four bombs remained incompletely detonated. Officials are expediting a comprehensive survey to ensure the safety of residents returning home. Currently, the Nam Yuen District Office is not allowing evacuees to return to the area, requesting time to defuse all bombs. The bombed areas are considered relatively safe. Destruction methods, whether they will be carried out simultaneously or individually, will depend on the collective decision of the parties involved and the expertise of EOD personnel to quickly defuse the bombs.
Lieutenant Colonel Ratthapakorn Sukthaweedamrong, the District Chief in charge of security, revealed that he would like to emphasize that residents who have returned to the area should observe the area and be vigilant. In villages where bombs were dropped, if they see any more bombs, they should notify authorities and turn off their mobile phones to prevent them from detonating.
The highlight of the BM-21, designed by the Soviet Union, is its effective range of 20 kilometers, or if equipped with new rockets, it can shoot further, up to 30 kilometers or more. The warhead weighs 20 kilograms, depending on the type. It has a lower level of accuracy than artillery and cannot be used in situations that require high precision, as the BM-21 relies on firing a large number of rockets in a strafe at a set attack rate.