NZ troops blow up 100kg Russian bomb

New Zealand soldiers have blown up a 100kg Russian bomb which had threatened a village in Afghanistan and the World Heritage site of the largest Bamyan Buddha last month.

The Defence Force said heavy rains in Bamyan Province had uncovered the badly corroded bomb next to a town well. It was thought to have been there for at least 20 years since the Russians occupied the site and heavily bombed local resistance.

Soldiers dug several large holes to protect the surrounding sites and to prevent ground shock, said Lieutenant Nick Fisher from the New Zealand deployment in Bamyan.

"Disposing of a bomb such as this has inherent risks at the best of times, but with important landmarks and a village close at hand, the problems are compounded," he said in a statement.

Afghan police evacuated an area within a kilometre of the village, which included 400 families.

A special A-frame and trolley were built to lift the bomb from the washout and transport it to the disposal site, using long ropes.

The Defence Force said specialised charges were placed on the bomb to fracture the casing and expose the explosive inside which was then burned.

"This allows for the disposal of ordnance without causing a full-scale explosion," said Lt Fisher.

He said it all went according to plan "and 16 hours after work started the bomb was successfully disposed of with no damage to any of the important sites in the area".

- NZPA