16 July 2003

More munitions and weapons destroyed in Bosnia Background Project Harvest News 14/07/2003 Canadians destroy massive amount of munitions and weapons Key links SFOR The past several weeks have been a big success for "Operation Harvest" in Bosnia and Herzegovina where NATO-led troops have gathered nearly 7000 grenades, as well as rifles, pistols, mines and munitions in the north of the country. This nation-wide campaign builds on former achievements of this operation that offers citizens amnesty if they turn in illegal weapons kept from the 1992-95 war. They do not have to give their names either. Only last month, the Dutch Battle Group that has an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit at its disposal, has been destroying anti-tank rifle grenades, clearing minefields and other dangerous munitions. These weapons are destroyed in areas where the explosions cannot harm anybody, but the operation remains hazardous for the SFOR troops undertaking the destruction. Canadian, Dutch, Romanian and Polish SFOR troops are among the EOD units and have been very active over time in contributing to making the country a safer place to live in. From January to June this year, SFOR has seized a total of 24,377 grenades, 6,250 mortars and shells, 444 mines, 243 kilograms of explosives and 400 automatic weapons.