A cache of nearly 200 artillery shells dating back to World War II have been discovered in the city of Heihe in Heilongjiang.

Two policemen carry an artillery shell out of a deserted house on May 14, 2015, in the city of Heihe in Heilongjiang province. [Photo: Heilongjiang Morning Post]

The shells have been discovered in the backyard of a deserted home.

It's believed the shells were left behind by Japanese troops garrisoned along the Chinese border with Russia during Japan's invasion of China in the late 1930s.

Geng Yan with the local armed forces department says various types of explosives are involved.

"These types of bombs are similar to ones we've found before. They were left by Japanese troops. There are mortar shells, grenades and some aerial bombs. Antitank grenades were one of the typical weapons used by Japanese troops."

Some of the shells still have fuses, meaning they had the potential to explode.

A significant number of people have been hurt over the years in northeast China from munitions left over from the war.

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