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Iraq is preparing to mark the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces on September 30 ending a 12-year military mission in the country since the onset of the Islamic State (ISIS) emergence, a move welcomed by some who view the departure Read More …
Erbil Mine Affairs cleared nearly 801,000 square meters of land of landmines and explosive remnants of war over the past year, marking a significant step toward improving public safety and restoring land for civilian use, an official said on Monday. Read More …
An old cache of mortar shells and mines dating back to the Iran-Iraq war has been discovered in the village of Kokoyi, Darbandikhan district of Sulaimani province. Authorities said the mine action directorate has been notified to arrange for the Read More …
Mine Action Directorate teams responded Wednesday to reports of mines and unexploded ordnance in Darbandikhan and Bardaqaraman following public alerts of dangerous remnants in the areas. In Darbandikhan’s Sirwan subdistrict, several residents reported discovering a VS-50 type mine near the Read More …
A resident of Duhok’s Mangeshk subdistrict has resumed farming on his land for the first time in 35 years, following the removal of mines and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) that had made the area too dangerous to cultivate. Local residents say Read More …
The warning signs are easy to miss. A faded skull-and-crossbones nailed to a fence in southern Iraq. A rusted metal stake on the edge of a field in the Kurdistan Region. A strip of red tape fluttering beside an olive Read More …
On Monday, 27 October 2025, as part of its ongoing efforts, the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) Slemani Office, through the Committee for the Handover of Cleared Minefields, officially handed over a piece of land that was formerly a Read More …
On Monday, 20 October 2025, the Committee for the Handover of Cleared Minefields of the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA), Duhok Office, officially handed over the Gre Mire minefield in the Darkare District of Zakho to its rightful owner, Read More …
Around two million square meters of land littered with mines and unexploded ordnance have been cleared across the Kurdistan Region over the past seven months, a local official said on Monday, adding landmines have claimed the lives of ten people Read More …
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) ninth cabinet has announced significant achievements in its ongoing campaign to protect citizens, support reconstruction, and safeguard the environment through extensive landmine clearance operations. According to the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA), over 11.3 Read More …
A drone attack halted production at the Sarsang oilfield in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Tuesday only hours before its U.S. operator signed a deal to develop another field. The Sarsang field is operated by HKN Energy, a privately held U.S. Read More …
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Tuesday strongly condemned an explosion that struck the Darkar camp housing internally displaced Yazidis in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province, calling for a full investigation into what it described as an Read More …
On Saturday, a young man was killed when a landmine exploded in Sidekan district, north of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. According to the Erbil Directorate of Mine Affairs, Sadiq Osman had entered the area to herd sheep Read More …
As part of ongoing mine clearance efforts across the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) has safely destroyed hundreds of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) that posed a significant threat to civilians. IKMAA Operations in Erbil: In Read More …
On Tuesday, a seven-year-old child, Hamrin Yadigar, was killed by a landmine explosion while playing in the village of Haji Awadi in the Kifri district, Garmian, Iraqi Kurdistan, a local source reported. According to the source, emergency services swiftly reached Read More …
On Thursday, the General Directorate for Mine Affairs in Duhok announced its 2024 statistics regarding efforts to remove explosive materials across the governorate. The Head of the Directorate, Shilan Naheli, told Shafaq News that mine clearance teams successfully cleared seven Read More …
An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated, targeting a Turkish military convoy in the Bamarni district, north of Duhok, a security source reported on Monday. The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the IED was planted on the roadside and remotely Read More …
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Mine Action Agency has revealed that over 776 square kilometers of land in the region remain contaminated with landmines, calling for immediate funding to accelerate clearance efforts. The agency is requesting a share of a Read More …
Across the world, women are increasingly doing what has traditionally been a man’s job – clearing landmines and unexploded bombs left over after decades of conflict. This dangerous and highly skilled task involves painstakingly marking suspected contaminated land and then Read More …
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 Read More …