Over seven million square meters cleared of ISIS explosives

The Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) has cleared a total of 7,414,199 square meters from Islamic State (IS) explosives in the liberated areas, said Siraj Barzani, head of the agency.

From the 2014 IS onslaught until October 2017, three IKMAA units in Duhok, Erbil, and Germiyan, in cooperation with the Peshmerga forces, started their plan to clear the contaminated areas and raise public awareness of explosive devices.

Barzani said in an interview with the KRG official website that poisonous chlorine gas bottles stockpiled by IS were also deactivated by an IKMMA team with the assistance and supervision of a special chemical weapons team from the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and Ministry of Interior.

According to Barzani, “IKMMA teams in liberated areas faced a variety of impediments, including fragile security, logistical issues, unsatisfactory information about areas and risks, pressure to hastily clear contaminated areas.”

With financial assistance from foreign governments, international NGOs – MAG, FSD, Handicap International, NPA, DDG, Sterling – participated in these clearing operations.

According to IKMMA, in 1991, 776 square kilometers of the Kurdistan Region were contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, UXO, laid by former Iraqi regime forces, which has since decreased to 270 square kilometers, a reduction of 65 percent.

According to Barzani, “from 1991 until October 2018, there have been 13,233 victims of landmines and other explosive devices. Today, there are fewer victims due to clearance operations and increased public awareness.’’

Source: Basnews