Kurdistan clears nearly 3 million square meters of land from mines
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regions had cleared nearly 3 million squaremeters of land from mines and explosives, the General Directorate for MineAction announced on Wednesday.
Thousands of explosive devices have also been removed and destroyed.
Speaking at a press conference, Jabbar Mustafa, head of the Directorate,said, "We have cleared 2,965,922 square meters of land, removing anddestroying 3,531 anti-personnel mines, 27 anti-tank mines, 21,750 explosivedevices, and 29 improvised explosive devices (IEDs)."
Mustafa noted that 11 people fell victim to landmine incidents inKurdistan in 2024. "Seven were injured, and four lost their lives."
The cleared land has benefited approximately 72,000 residents, enablingsafer living conditions and improved access to previously restricted areas, Heexplained.
Kurdistan, like other parts of Iraq, remains heavily contaminated bymines and unexploded ordnance, remnants of past conflicts.
A report by the international organization Humanity and Inclusion,concerned with providing safety for the affected worldwide, revealed that8,500,000 Iraqis are living amidst dangerous and deadly areas containingexplosive remnants of war and IEDs.
