Iraq has cleared more than 4,000 square kilometers of land contaminated by mines since 2003, leaving about 2,738 square kilometers still requiring clearance, the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday, while denying reports that it has contracted companies to carry out demining work.
Mustafa Hamid Majeed, director of the Awareness and Media Section at the ministry’s Mine Affairs Directorate, told the Iraqi News Agency that Iraq’s total mine-contaminated area since the directorate was established in 2003 measured about 6,793 square kilometers, with 2,738 square kilometers remaining.
Majeed said nearly half of the remaining contaminated land is located in Basra governorate.
Read more…
Source: +964 Media
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Iraq: UN mine clearance worker fatally injured in Mosul mine clearing ops
May 3, 2024
Tragedy struck in Batnaia, Tal Kaif, Mosul, as a United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS) employee lost their life in the line of duty while clearing mines, the United Nations in Iraq reports. The fatal incident occurred when a mine detonated unexpectedly during clearance operations in a mined area of Batnaya. The UN Mine Action Services ...
- Iraq: Explosion injures four Ministry of Electricity workers in Anbar
May 1, 2024
On Wednesday, a security source reported that four workers affiliated with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity sustained injuries in an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Al-Anbar Governorate, western Iraq. The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the workers were injured in the Akashat area while working on extending the power transmission line ...
- UNMAS Iraq Programme Report 2023
April 25, 2024
Initially, UNMAS Iraq was supporting stabilization and the restoration of basic infrastructure to enable safe and dignified returns of IDPs to the areas liberated from ISIL. In doing this UNMAS Iraq surveyed 30,567,078 sqm and rendered safe more than 673,041 items of EO through nearly 2,000 stabilization tasks. Read more… Source: Reliefweb Sign up for our Newsletter Related:
- Syria: Rocket attack from Iraq targets US base in al-Hasakah Governorate
April 22, 2024
The attack, launched from the town of Zummar late on Sunday, was the first since early February to target US troops, when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq brought to an end a campaign that had seen regular strikes against the US-led international coalition. A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency ...
- Iraq: One killed, eight wounded in blast at Iran-aligned group’s base south of Baghdad
April 20, 2024
One person has been killed and at least eight injured after a blast at a military base in Iraq used by the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the army said. The PMF said “the attack” late on Friday targeted the Kalsu military base, located some 50km (31 miles) south of the capital Baghdad in the province ...
- Israel strikes Iran, defense officials confirm
April 19, 2024
Long-distance aircraft fired missiles that struck Iranian Air Force assets at Isfahan in central Iran early Friday morning, the Jerusalem Post has confirmed. Meanwhile, two Israeli defense officials and three Iranian officials confirmed to The New York Times that Israel was involved. The report came shortly after local sources reported explosions in Isfahan in central Iran, ...
- The Biggest Strengths And Weaknesses Of America’s MRAP
April 13, 2024
When the U.S. military went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, it quickly became apparent that its arsenal of armored and up-armored vehicles was susceptible to dangerous improvised explosive devices (IEDs). As the war progressed, IEDs became more lethal, necessitating the development of vehicles capable of surviving such attacks, with crew protection being the principal goal. ...
- Children and War: The Impact of Weapon Contamination in Iraq
April 8, 2024
As one of the most heavily contaminated countries in the world, Iraq grapples with the enduring legacy of past conflicts, including landmines and cluster munitions. Basra, in particular, stands as a stark reminder of this reality, with a pollution rate of 1,200 square kilometers (statistics by Directorate Mine of Action by 2024), making it one ...
- Iraq: Mine directorate warns explosives displaced by heavy rain
March 24, 2024
Sulaimani’s landmine directorate is warning people to be careful after recent heavy rains may have dislodged landmines, carrying explosives away on the current and depositing them in areas that had been cleared. “Rain and flash floods always create problems for us. We had areas that were cleared from mines, but the floods have carried mines from ...
- Iraq: Landmine blast kills three border guards in Erbil
March 10, 2024
A landmine explosion on Sunday at an Iraqi border guard command in Erbil killed three, an army spokesperson said. The explosion occurred during a training session at the engineering unit of the border guard command. The victims were landmine experts who were overseeing the training, Ismail said. Read more… Source: RUDAW News
- Iraq’s lingering landmine menace: ongoing struggle for safety and stability
March 9, 2024
Landmines in Iraq has been a longstanding issue, originating from conflicts such as the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War, where both conventional and improvised landmines were extensively deployed. The aftermath of these conflicts, coupled with ongoing internal strife and insurgencies, has led to widespread contamination of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) throughout the ...
- Iraq: IED explosion kills one and injures another in Kirkuk province
March 8, 2024
One person was killed and another injured on Friday by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Jawal Bor area in northeastern Kirkuk. A reliable source from Kirkuk police told Kurdistan24 that the victims were a father and son. The source identified the deceased as Aziz Shahaza Issa and the injured as Mustafa. The police source ...
- Iraq: Bombing targets Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq office in Najaf
February 21, 2024
An official security source reported on Sunday morning that an office affiliated with Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, a Shiite armed group, was targeted by a homemade bomb in Najaf governorate, the capital of Shia Islam in Iraq and the world. The improvised explosive device detonated in the Al-Salam neighborhood in downtown Najaf, resulting in significant material damage ...
- U.S. Central Command Forces Conduct Strike Killing Kata’ib Hezbollah Senior Leader
February 7, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. – At 9:30 p.m. (Baghdad time) February 7, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S. service members, killing a Kata’ib Hezbollah commander responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region. There are no indications of collateral damage ...
- U.S. Central Command Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria
February 2, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. – At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more ...