Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, have safely destroyed an unexploded 65mm artillery shell from the Spanish Civil War in the Garraf massif. The device was found within the municipal boundaries of Castelldefels, southwest of Barcelona, following a report from a member of the public on Wednesday.
Specialists from the TEDAX unit – Technical Experts in Explosive Artefact Disposal – were dispatched to the site to assess the object. They confirmed the shell still contained live explosive material and carried out a controlled destruction at the scene.
If you find one, do not touch it and call 112
The Mossos issued a public reminder: “If you find one, do not touch it and call 112.” The warning follows a series of similar discoveries across the region, with unexploded ordnance (UXO) remaining dangerous for decades.
Recurring risk in the area
Castelldefels has a documented history of wartime munitions being uncovered. In October and November 2022, four mortar shells were found in woodland near Turó del Fanxó within days of each other. Each time, TEDAX teams were called in to safely remove and destroy the devices.
The discovery underscores an ongoing safety issue in areas used during the Spanish Civil War, where artillery shells and grenades can remain buried and hazardous. According to data cited by local media, the Mossos have deactivated thousands of old explosives over the past decade.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat, dsp.interior.gencat.cat, Departament d'Interior. Direcció General de Protecció Civil. Reported by 20minutos, antena3.com, lavanguardia.com, barcelonapress.com, elcaso.elnacional.cat, CatalunyaPress.cat, segre.com, 20minutos.es, 3CatInfo, elpais.com, Eix Diari.
