Landmine kills man, injures brother in Sidakan as casualties rise among herb foragers

ERBIL — A landmine explosion Saturday in the Qalarash mountains near Sidakan killed one man and seriously injured his brother while they were gathering wild herbs, according to civil defense officials.

Rawand Hawdiyani, spokesperson for Soran Civil Defense, said the victims, Mohammed Haini, 28, and his brother Safwan, 27, are from Bekhman village in Khalifan district.

“In Qalarash Mountain, two brothers were struck by a landmine. Our teams had not been notified of their trip to the area,” he said. “One is seriously injured, and the other died at Sidakan Hospital.”

Local officials said the brothers were hiking with friends when they stepped on the mine. The area is known for landmines left over from past conflicts.

The incident follows the April 1 death of Nazim Salih Rasho, also killed by a landmine while foraging in the same region. Authorities have repeatedly warned residents to avoid unsecured mountain areas.

Landmine blasts have killed or injured several others in recent weeks. On March 25, Peshmerga soldier Hawkar Salih died near Siyamawa village in Penjwen. On March 17, 20-year-old Dilshad Mahmood was killed in Korramew. Earlier that month, a 58-year-old man died in the Rola mountains near Dargala in Rawanduz. Another fatality occurred near Qaladze in Sulaymaniyah.

“The cause of the increase in such incidents is the disregard of the instructions by the citizens,” said Karwan Mirawdeli, head of civil defense in Soran.

Spring is peak foraging season in the Kurdistan Region, where many venture into remote areas despite the risk of unexploded ordnance. Landmines from past wars continue to pose a threat in rural and border areas.