Land returned to owners in Mergasor district following demining efforts

MERGASOR — Seven land plots in Mergasor district, Soran Administration, were officially handed back to their owners on Friday after being cleared of mines, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Mine Action Agency.

The cleared areas were previously contaminated with 1,462 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, along with 12,900 various unexploded ordnances. These were safely removed by specialized demining teams, under the supervision of the Mine Action Directorate in Erbil.

The agency announced that, with the support of Slovenia’s ITF organization, several land areas within the Soran administration were cleared of landmines and returned to their rightful owners.

The Kurdistan Region remains heavily mine-contaminated, a legacy of decades of conflict including the Iran-Iraq War, confrontations with the former Baathist regime, and later regional instability. These landmines, along with unexploded ordnance, pose a persistent threat to the safety and livelihoods of residents, especially those living in rural and remote areas.

The statement highlighted that the lands were fully demined and made safe for use, eliminating any threat to the local population. Moving forward, the cleared areas will be available for productive use by local residents and landowners.

Jabbar Mustafa, the Director of the KRG’s Mine Action Agency, previously informed 964media that out of 776 square kilometers of land initially identified as mine-contaminated in the Kurdistan Region, 576 square kilometers have been successfully cleared. However, 200 square kilometers remain hazardous. Mustafa noted that landmines have affected 13,580 individuals, resulting in approximately 5,000 fatalities.

In 2023 alone, 23 landmine-related incidents were documented, causing 10 fatalities and injuring 13 others.