Landmine kills 58-year-old man in Soran mountains

SORAN — A 58-year-old man was killed Thursday morning when a landmine exploded in the Rola mountains near Dargala village in the Rawanduz district of Erbil’s Soran autonomous administration, local officials said.

Civil Defense Director Karwan Mirawadali provided details to 964media, stating, “A 58-year-old man, Mohammed Hassan, lost his life due to a landmine explosion in the Rola mountains, near Dargala village in Rawanduz.” The victim was in the mountains with his son and another companion gathering wild spring grasses when he inadvertently stepped on the mine.

“Our teams have been dispatched to the scene and are working to retrieve the body and transfer it to the forensic department in Soran,” Mirawadali said.

The Kurdistan Region continues to grapple with extensive landmine contamination—a lingering threat from decades of conflict, including the Iran-Iraq War, confrontations with the former Baathist regime, and ongoing regional instability. This dangerous legacy affects the daily lives of residents, particularly in remote and rural areas.

A Peshmerga soldier was killed on Jan. 6, 2025, when a landmine exploded while he was on duty in Duhok’s Barwari Bala area. Jabbar Mustafa, director of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Mine Action Agency, previously told 964media that of the 776 square kilometers initially classified as mine-contaminated in the Kurdistan Region, 576 square kilometers have been cleared, leaving 200 square kilometers still hazardous. Mustafa reported that landmines have impacted 13,580 individuals, with approximately 5,000 fatalities. In 2023, 23 landmine-related incidents were recorded, resulting in 10 deaths and 13 injuries.