The bomb lying beside the side-walk in front of AH Car Parts Store adjacent to the foot of the bridge in section 1 of Myawaddy. Witnesses said that Daw Aye Myint, a municipality garbage worker found the bomb and immediately reported it to the office of Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion 275 based in Myawaddy. The army officers came to the site at 6:30 am and dismantled the bomb successfully without any casualties by 7:30 am.

According to a witness close to the Burma army soldiers, the hand-made bomb was made out of a piece of iron pipe attached to a digital time control and it weighed 1.8 Kg. Photos provided to Karen News appear to show a pipe bomb next to the bridge which was then removed by Burma Army soldiers. The soldiers used cement filled bags as protection against it exploding while they defused it.

Residents told Karen News that the time that the bomb was set to explode is one of the busiest times for people crossing the bridge and that they now feel threatened by this incident.

A resident from section 1 of Myawaddy spoke to Karen News, “I feel insecure living here when I heard about a bomb in our section. The bomb didn’t explode, but I am worried if there are any similar cases in the future. Who knows?”

Following the incident, officers from the Burma Army, the Myawaddy Township police department, representatives from the Border Guard Forces and from the liaison offices of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Karen National Union, Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army – Peace Council held a meeting to discuss the issue.