Key facts
- 250 unexploded World War I munitions recovered from melting glaciers in the Dolomites.
- Recovered items included Italian artillery shells and French mortar bombs.
- The "white war" was fought in the Dolomites between 1915 and 1918.
- Global heating is accelerating the emergence of these dangerous artifacts.
- Hikers are advised not to touch any found explosives and to report them to police.
A significant cache of unexploded World War I munitions has emerged this summer from rapidly retreating glaciers in the Dolomites, the Italian army announced. Soldiers from the army’s Julia Alpine brigade recovered and defused 250 explosives, including Italian artillery shells and French mortar bombs, which originated from the "white war" fought between 1915 and 1918. The weapons were preserved by ice for over a century and are now re-emerging due to global heating. Hikers have reported numerous sightings, prompting extensive sweeps by the army across high-altitude glacier locations in the Trentino Alto Adige region.