Jordan army safely detonates old grenade found in Madaba

• The Royal Engineering Corps successfully conducted a controlled detonation of a vintage "No. 36" hand grenade discovered on a vacant lot along the Madaba–Ma’in road on Friday afternoon.
• Local authorities determined the rusted explosive was a relic from past military training exercises, unearthed and transported to the roadside by heavy flash flooding that impacted the kingdom over the past week.

The Corps of Royal Engineers of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) safely disposed of an old hand grenade discovered Friday afternoon in a vacant lot near the Madaba Police Directorate intersection along the Madaba–Ma’in road.

Governor of Madaba Hassan al-Jabour told Roya that security forces received a report from a citizen at approximately 3:30 PM regarding the grenade.

Following an immediate security response, the site was cordoned off, and military disposal specialists were summoned to the scene.

Weather Conditions as the Cause

According to al-Jabour, the explosive was identified as a "No. 36" grenade (commonly known as a Mills bomb). Investigators believe the device is from past drills conducted by the army.

The grenade had likely remained for some time until the heavy floods experienced across the country the past week washed the device from its original location, causing it to settle in the area where it was found today, according to al-Jabour.

In accordance with standard safety protocols for aged munitions, which can become highly unstable over time due to corrosion, the Royal Engineering Corps opted for a controlled on-site detonation.