Unexploded WWII bomb safely detonated

Siti Hajar

 Traffic was diverted to make way for the safe removal of the unexploded bomb. - DEAN KASSIM

 

The unexploded bomb - PIC COURTESY RBAF

 

The scene yesterday on the road along Batu Dua in Jalan Tutong

An unexploded live bomb (see photo below), believed to have been a remnant of the Japanese Occupation during the British Residency between 1941 and 1945, was recently unearthed by workers who were in the process of erecting neon lights along Batu Dua, Jalan Tutong.

The rusted bomb, measuring 16 inches by eight centimetres, was discovered by workers at 3pm on Monday. However, the matter was only reported to the police yesterday morning.

One of the workers who found the explosive said: "We didn't know what it was (at first) … we thought that it was just another piece of metal. This was why we kept it aside."

After the matter was reported to the authorities, personnel from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Special Operations Squad (SOS), Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), as well as the Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Explosive (CBRE) Units, were immediately dispatched to remove the bomb albeit approximately 24 hours after the bomb was unearthed by workers.

As a result of this, traffic was diverted away from the Damuan area heading towards the capital for over half a day, as personnel worked on the safe removal of the bomb.

An RBPF spokesperson revealed that the bomb detonated at 4pm at an undisclosed location within the Brunei-Muara District, and that two blocks of flats located near the site had been evacuated to ensure the safety of residents.

This was not the first time that an unexploded bomb has been discovered by the authorities.

Bom tinggalan zaman Jepun ditemui

Oleh Mohamad Asyramisyanie
Gambar oleh Haji Minor

Bom lama berukuran 16 inci dan ukuran lilitan 30x8 sentimeter yang ditemui di Jalan Tutong kelmarin.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, 12 Jun - Pekerja sebuah syarikat kontraktor dan penghuni sekitar Batu 2 Jalan Tutong gempar hari ini apabila menjumpai keluli yang dianggap biasa, namun ia sebenarnya sebutir bom lama yang masih aktif.

Bom itu ditemui oleh seorang pekerja semalam ketika beliau menggali tanah untuk memasang lampu neon dan segera melaporkan mengenainya kepada pengawal yang bertugas di sana.

Skuad Letupan EOD dari Unit Kimia, Biologikal dan Letupan Radiasi ABDB berkejar ke tempat kejadian dan berjaya mengeluarkan bom itu untuk dipindahkan sebelum dimusnahkan petang tadi.

Bom itu dipercayai peninggalan zaman penjajahan Jepun dengan ukuran lilitan 30x8 sentimeter dan berjaya dikeluarkan oleh Skuad Operasi Khas ABDB.

Jalan itu ditutup dari awal pagi hingga petang bagi kerja-kerja mengeluarkan bom itu.

Manakala penghuni dua blok yang berhampiran lokasi bom juga diarahkan mengosongkan bangunan bagi mengelakkan sebarang kejadian tidak diingini daripada berlaku.

Turut terlibat ialah Unit Simpanan Polis Diraja Brunei.

Terubat hati

Salam, me dah mention sal payung (rifle umbrella) yg di'rampas' oleh polis di LCCT pada blogpost yg lepas. seminggu kemudian my heart terubat apabila Mitra Supermarket yg dekat Green Zone ne ada jual payung yang hampir sama. Kalau nda silap harganya BND25.++ dengan udinya berwarna hitam and di First Emporium Jerudong pun ada jua. harganya dalam BND26.++ dengan udinya corak kayu. Yg di'rampas' atu udinya berwarna celoreng. nda apalah. janji ada.

Again, July is coming! Ramadhan is also coming!

C U soon!

10 Jun 2012

Salam, napa agaknya tarikh di atas jadi tajuk blogpost kali ane? Kita selalu ingat tarikh pemasyhuran kemerdekaan negara Brunei iaitu 31 disember 1983 dan mulai 1 januari 1984 negara kita merdeka dari naungan (bukan jajahan) British. Manakala setiap 23 febuari pada setiap tahun kita menyambut Hari Kebangsaan. Tetapi apa yg berlaku pada 10 jun? Ok, pada tarikh tersebut 67 tahun yg lalu, lebih tepat lagi 10 jun 1945, tentera Australia tiba di Teluk Brunei di dalam usaha menawan kembali Borneo dari tangan Jepun. Bukan itu sahaja bahkan mereka terpaksa bertahan di sana bagi menghadapi serangan tentera Jepun sehingga bantuan pengeboman dari udara datang. Biasanya pada tarikh tersebut pada setiap tahun kebelakangan ini, veteran tentera berkenaan akan datang berkumpul di pantai Muara bagi memperingati rakan2 mereka yg terkorban semasa mendarat di kawasan berkenaan. Oklah, itu sejarah perang. Pada tarikh tersebut, 67 tahun kemudian me bercuti ke KL melalui Miri. Eh eh. Baru2 ne juga masa me di KL, sebutir bom peninggalan Perang Dunia Kedua ditemui di Batu 2, Jalan RIPAS (dulu Jalan Tutong). Buat yang tak tau ttg cetar tu, nantilah me copy-pastekan dari Media Permata & Borneo Bulletin.

Ok, masa ne me di Jln bukit bintang. Pada hari pertama, kami ke JB. seharian. Malam baru sampai KL. Hari kedua kami ke Genting Highland (mcm satu kemestian plang, hehe) Ada satu payung mirip senapang sniper siap dgn celoreng lagi me beli dalam RM40 tapi dalam hati was-was juga kalau2 benda tu tak approved untuk di bawa naik flight. Bila balik, barulah risauan jadi kenyataan. cheh!

Payung tersebut terpaksa dirampas oleh polis di LCCT sebab menyerupai senjata :-( tapi satu payung lagi mirip pistol Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribean) lulus scanner. Sebagai kenangan, me ambil je sarung payung senapang tu.  sayang sbb bukan sahaja sarungnya celoreng tetapi payungnya pun celoreng. me mmg suka kumpul benda2 mcm ne tapi dah bukan rezeki, sabor je lah.

Pada 31 Mei lps me turun ke Naval Base utk lihat pameran n beli cenderamata. sempat juga me ambil gambar yg interesting n susah nak dapatkan di dlm internet.

 Logo Rejimen Pasukan Khas

 

Land Rover Defender - Special Operation Vehicle

 

 

Logo Perintis TUDB - No.1 Skuadron Helikopter, Cawangan Udara Askar Melayu Diraja Brunei. Me pernah lihat logo ne kat pintu helikopter yang sudah menjadi tugu di pintu masuk Pengkalan Udara TUDB Rimba

Logo awal No.3 Squadron, Basic Flying Training School

 

Betul ke? Logo Pengkalan Operasi Depan (Forward Operation Base) TUDB

 

3 buah bot sama ada milik TLDB atau RPK. Me tak pasti sebab kedua-dua pasukan menggunakan bot dari jenis yang sama

 

Helikopter BO105 dengan pod roket serangan dari udara ke bumi seperti yg me mention pada blogpost "Jet Pejuang TUDB"

 Helikopter Bell dengan door-gunner di kedua belah tepi pintu helikopter. Me dah mention heli ne dlm blogpost "Jet Pejuang TUDB"

Itulah sedikit sebanyak yang dapat me muatkan dalam blogpost kali ini. Untuk blogpost akan datang, Insya-Allah me akan lihatkan beberapa patches dari TUDB dan unit-unit di bawahnya. Jumpa lagi!

'Hijacking' of Bruneian plane foiled

Koo Jin Shen and Mun Fung
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, November 20, 2011

 

A LATE night flight was "hijacked" early yesterday morning by terrorists as the third anti-terrorism exercise concluded yesterday, further testing the strength of the nation's ability to resolve a crisis.

The national exercise dubbed "Setia Bersatu" concluded with 18 people dead, including two terrorists, 34 injured and the arrest of another terrorist.

Seventeen were killed in the initial bomb attack, including the "suicide bomber". One terrorist was shot dead during the rescue attempt on the aircraft, and all "hostages" were rescued without any injuries.

There were two major "scenarios" that took place under the exercise. The first was an explosion set off by a "suicide bomber" at a resort hotel in Jln Kota Batu and the second, a "hijacking" of an aircraft at the Berakas International Airport by two escaping terrorists.

The Brunei Times was notified of the second incident at approximately 2.30am, some three hours after the bomb explosion and had arrived at the Berakas International Airport at about 2.45am. Roadblocks had been set up along the roads leading into the airport by armed policemen.

For a period of time, the reporters were confined to the "media centre" and was informed at around 3am that two "hijackers" had taken over an aircraft with passengers aboard.

Between 3.40am to 4.40am, media were then given clearance to observe the situation briefly and were escorted by airport security to see the plane that had been hijacked from a safe distance.

The aircraft was isolated from the main terminal, and was a minute or two away from the Airport Fire Station.

The windows of the aircraft were too dark to see through, thus was either blocked or the cabin lights had been turned off.

At 4.44 am, ASP Pg Hj Abdul Salam Pg Hj Abdul Ghani, head of the Royal Brunei Police Force's Public Relations Unit, disclosed that the two hijackers had snuck aboard the plane alongside 35 "passengers", consisting of both Bruneians and foreigners.

After they boarding the plane, they proceeded to accost the pilot and take over the aircraft and its 13 crew.

At that time, Pg Hj Abd Salam said that the "hostages" remain unharmed, though the hijackers had made threats to their lives.

He said that RBPF Negotiators were engaged in discussions with the terrorists, and the RBPF's priority was to "save lives".

The negotiations were said by the RBPF to last several hours, before the scenario advanced to the police launching an assault on the terrorists. RBPF stated that the second scenario concluded at approximately 6:45am.

The hijackers were believed to possess firearms. When asked how the firearms were smuggled aboard, the police spokesperson replied that it was still under investigation.

The two hijackers were also believed to be connected to the first incident reported at the resort.

Based on initial investigation, police stated that the terrorists' motives was "revenge on the death of one of their chiefs".

Pg Hj Abd Salam also revealed that after getting word of the explosion at Jln Kota Batu, police stations in all four districts had heightened security at border checkpoints and had set up roadblocks.

The spokesperson said that despite the current situation, the airport remains open and flights were to operate as scheduled, though there will be a heightened security presence.

Departments involved in the second "live" simulation were the RBPF, the Immigration Department, Department of Civil Aviation as well as the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

The Special Operation Squad of the RBPF had also been deployed.

The simulation was launched under the National Security Committee, and was coordinated by the RBPF with the cooperation of all other agencies involved.

The main objective of such exercises is to prepare for any terrorist issues that may threaten the national safety of the country.

The Special Operations Squad (SOS), the Royal Brunei Police Force elite team, rescuing 'passengers' that had been held hostage during a terrorist attempt to hijack one of Brunei's aircraft, during the National Training Exercise early yesterday morning. Pictures: Courtesy of RBPF

Stunts mark end of police course

 

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI - THE Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) yesterday closed the "Protection Team Phase" course and the "Special Force Group" (Pasukan Gerak Khas) basic course with a bang.

Performed during the closing ceremonies at the Police Gadong Training Centre were dangerous scenarios of evasive driving, bus storming and personal protection stunts.

The course was focused on safety aspects and intended to test and develop the trainees to become more responsible when dealing with certain situations and in terms of assessing threats quickly and accurately.

The highlight of the event was the VIP protection performance in which a convoy drove round the marching ground led by police officers on motorcycles, followed by different cars containing special force members. When the VIP car was "attacked", the cars screeched to a halt, made a lightning-fast turn and drove the "VIP" to safety.

Certificates were awarded to 12 members for the special force group basic course and 35 members for the VIP protection course presented by the guest of honour Prime Minister's Office Deputy Minister Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Wahab Juned at the multipurpose hall.

Also in attendance was the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Commander, Major General Dato Paduka Seri Hj Aminuddin Ihsan Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Hj Abidin and the Acting Police Commissioner DCP Bahrin Mohd Noor.

In a speech, the Jabatan Gerakan Acting Director ACP Hj Mohd Jammy Hj Muhd Shah Al Islam touched on the programme's goal to improve the level of alertness in situations of urgency and in need of security objectives in terms of violence and threatening situations.

"The two courses aims to deal with situations that threaten lives, property and security, I also wish to congratulate the participants for successfully undergoing the training," said the acting director.

He reported that the special force group has currently 80 members that includes three female members in the unit.

"The team has expertise in the use of firearms and assets to handle serious criminal cases involving firearms, hostage or specifically violent situations," said the acting director. "This team has no doubt in operating in the scope of close urban actions such as in buildings, ships and aircraft."

In his speech he stated that the members have also undergone theory and practical training for the participants to achieve mental and physical endurance in any type of situation because the types of scenarios being faced has no limitations or time limit. Other types of training that the course offered were advanced training, abseiling, storming, parachute, firearms skills and accurate shot training.

 

-The Brunei Times - Tue, Apr 26, 2011

Anti-Terrorism Order 2011

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, August 1 - The Attorney-General's Chambers announced that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to the establishment of an order known as Anti-Terrorism Order (ATO) 2011 to take effect from July 18, 2011.

    The ATO 2011 is the manifestation of Brunei Darussalam's strong commitment in combating terrorism locally and internationally.  The order covers offences such as committing terrorist acts, being members of terrorist groups, financing of terrorism and support or assisting any terrorist groups or acts.

(Brunei Darussalam Newsletter, August, 2011.  Volume 26 Issue 8)