A county in northeast China has destroyed 260 artillery shells discarded by Japanese troops after their defeat in World War II, police said Thursday.
The shells were found at Sunwu County, Heilongjiang Province, where Japanese had built underground fortifications, storerooms and ammunition depots, said Ma Yuehai, head of the county's public security bureau.
Among the munitions destroyed, on November 11, there were also 1,500 bullets and 19 detonators.
The county first organized destruction of similar items in October 2012, but new items have been discovered since then.
"The discarded weapons posed great threat to people's safety, as they could explode at any time," Ma said.
On Sept. 18, 1931, Japanese forces attacked the barracks of Chinese troops in northeast China's Shenyang, Liaoning Province, marking the beginning of a Japanese invasion and occupation that lasted 14 years. After the Japanese army was defeated in 1945, they buried large quantities of chemicals weapons, shells and bombs.
