Wild boars have unearthed 21 World War II mortar shells that had been buried in a northern Polish forest.
Forest rangers discovered the ordinance close to the village of Bięcino, and quickly determined that the shells had been freshly dug up by boars.
The area was secured until the arrival of military sappers who then transferred the explosives to a training ground before safely detonating them.
While the shells had suffered from heavy corrosion, police said that they still posed a risk to the public.
The discovery of World War II ordinance remains common in Poland – last November, nearly 3,000 people were evacuated in the eastern city of Lublin after a bomb was discovered during building works.
In August, meanwhile, a tractor driver was fortunate to escape unharmed when his vehicle detonated a shell after running over it in a field.
In 2023, a walker called police after discovering a stash of wartime weapons. In the ensuing operation, sappers unearthed 800 anti-tank mines, 300 anti-personnel mines, 3,500 fuses and 32 100-kilogram aircraft bombs.
With more and more hikers heading to the forests with the arrival of spring, police have urged those coming across munitions and unexploded ordnance to report their findings immediately.
Last year, police arrested a 50-year-old man after being tipped off by concerned locals. After raiding his home, counter-terrorist officers found 500 rounds of WWII ammunition, 16 hand grenades and two artillery shells.
The area was secured until the arrival of military sappers who then transferred the explosives to a training ground before safely detonating them.
While the shells had suffered from heavy corrosion, police said that they still posed a risk to the public.
The discovery of World War II ordinance remains common in Poland – last November, nearly 3,000 people were evacuated in the eastern city of Lublin after a bomb was discovered during building works.
In August, meanwhile, a tractor driver was fortunate to escape unharmed when his vehicle detonated a shell after running over it in a field.
In 2023, a walker called police after discovering a stash of wartime weapons. In the ensuing operation, sappers unearthed 800 anti-tank mines, 300 anti-personnel mines, 3,500 fuses and 32 100-kilogram aircraft bombs.
With more and more hikers heading to the forests with the arrival of spring, police have urged those coming across munitions and unexploded ordnance to report their findings immediately.
Last year, police arrested a 50-year-old man after being tipped off by concerned locals. After raiding his home, counter-terrorist officers found 500 rounds of WWII ammunition, 16 hand grenades and two artillery shells.
More In History MORE...
