The suspected device dubbed UXOs was found by members of the GAF EOD during their search for suspected UXOs within the country's border sites. The device was allegedly fired by the Senegalses forces, according to Major Bubacarr Bah, head of training of GAF EOD team.
The explosive device was however destroyed by the GAF EOD team who just concluded their training and graduation held at the Tintiba firing and demolition range on Wednesday 6 March 2024.
Major Bah said further that the device was found by one of their trainees during their inspection visit. He added that they inspected the land service ammunition and demolition kits.
“When we say land service ammunition, these are ammunition used by troops fighting on land - there are five series of them,” Major Bah explained. “You have grenade, mortars, rockets, project tags, and mines. And we are responsible for giving support to the infantry fighting units. In case of any problem with the 5 units, we are to handle it.
“We also go through demining training, which includes an F3-mine detector to discover mines from contaminated areas or alarm mine areas to enable us to see it even if buried in the sand between 10 to 20 centimetres in the ground, so that we can remove the mines and defuse them. If in a dangerous or unstable move or touch, we can destroy them at the point we find them.”
Also, Lt. Col. Babucarr Sanyang emphasised the importance of the training to GAF members to master the intricacies of defusing explosive devices and ensuring the safety of innocent lives within the country.
Lt. Col. Sanyang stated that the training and what he witnessed with the EOD team showed that “the country is in safe hands” with the army.
He applauded the bravery and selflessness of the trainees in defusing two explosive devices, one of which was a simulation exercise.
