76 artillery shells left by Japanese invaders found in China's Inner Mongolia

HOHHOT, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 76 artillery shells believed to be discarded by Japanese troops during World War II have been found in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Border police in Hinggan League found 66 shells measuring between 15 cm and 30 cm in length at a construction site following a tip-off. The fuses of these shells are missing, but there is still a possibility of detonation, according to the Hinggan border control branch of the regional exit-entry frontier inspection station.

Another 10 shells were retrieved from a riverside. These shells are in a rusty state and the fuses are still intact, indicating that the shells are still destructive.

For safety reasons, all shells will be destroyed.

Bordering Mongolia, the Hinggan League zone is one of the first areas that was occupied by Japanese troops during WWII. After they were defeated in 1945, the troops buried a large quantity of ammunition in Chinese territory, posing a threat to local people's life and production.

This year alone, the Hinggan border control branch has collected 123 shells and grenades discarded by the Japanese invaders.