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Friday, November 17, 1972
With immediate effect
and until the new gun positions are brought
into use the Army authorities have decided to discontinue training with
high-velocity, flat-trajectory weapons other than small arms, except under
occasional and specially-controlled circumstances.
The likelihood of ricochets while firing heavy-calibre, flat-trajectory
guns is technically higher than for other types of weapon. It was this
characteristic which led to the freak accident on October 9 when a building,
situated within the gazetted boundary, near the village of Pak Nai, was struck
by a ricochetting practice-shell fired from the 76mm high-velocity main armament
of a Saladin armoured ear,
Army experts are satisfied that existing safety arrangements are
completely adequate for the continued use of, on the one hand, small arms and,
on the other, angled-trajectory weapons such as artillery and mortars.
At the same time, night firing exercises are to be limited to the
minimum essential to maintain night operational efficiency.
A review is being carried out of authorised gun positions and certain
firing points will not be used again.
These restrictions on night firing and discontinuing the use of some
firing points should go a long way towards meeting current local objections until
the new gun positions are ready for use next year, commented the Government
spokesman.
Army Engineers have already begun preparatory work for the new range
facilities, he disclosed.
The new range boundaries will be clearly marked, and notices and flags
erected to warn members of the public against entering the range while firing is
in progress,
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