Today, August 4, ordnance specialists from the Cambodian mine Action Centre (CMAC), the Golden West and NPA (Norwegian People’s Aid), assessed an unexploded MK-84 bomb which was found in Oddar Meanchey province.
The bomb was discovered in Kok Moun commune’s Tmar Doun village, in Banteay Ampil district, the scene of heavy aerial bombardment by the Thai air force during the recent clashes, explained Heng Ratana, CMAC director-general.
“The experts have identified this MK-84 as being manufactured in 1996, as part of with lot umber IMI96GO15-11. Len Austin, the resident representative of the Golden West in Cambodia and a retired member of the US Marine Corps, is an EOD expert. He confirmed that this bomb was built in 1996,” he said.
“He believed it could have been purchased by Thailand from Israel Military Industries (IMI), a company licensed to produce and sell MK-series bombs,” he added.
Ratana noted that since the bomb was manufactured in 1996, it could not possibly be leftover ordnance from the Indochina War era between 1970 and 1973, as has been implied. He emphasised that the international community is well aware of this fact.
Recently, Ratana called on international experts to personally inspect the MK-84 bomb, following claims by Thai authorities that the bomb found in Cambodia was not dropped by Thai Air Force aircraft during the fighting, but rather was “an old bomb”.
