Cleared Minefields Reach 576 km² in the Kurdistan Region

ARK News.. Kurdistan Region media outlets reported that out of a total of 779 square kilometers of mine-contaminated land, authorities have so far succeeded in clearing 576 square kilometers.

Since the 1990s, landmines and remnants of war have caused 13,600 casualties across the region.

According to Kurdistan24, Jabar Mustafa, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s General Mine Affairs Directorate, stated that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region were originally expected to be fully cleared of mines and explosive remnants by 2018, but the target could not be met. As a result, the deadline has been extended for another 10 years.

For his part, Abdulaziz Mohammed Saleh, head of operations at the Duhok Mine Affairs Directorate, described landmines as an “invisible enemy,” noting that demining personnel “work with a spirit of sacrifice every time they leave their homes.” He added that teams continue daily efforts to clear mine-affected areas across the region.

The most affected areas by landmines in the Kurdistan Region include Duhok, Erbil, Sulaimani, and Halabja.

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