Three injured in explosion caused by old artillery shell in Soran’s Bradost region

SORAN — Three people were injured Saturday when an old artillery shell exploded in the Bradost area of Sidakan subdistrict, in Erbil governorate’s Soran district, according to environmental officials and mine clearance authorities.

Jabar Wasman Bradosti, spokesperson for the Mergemir Environmental Organization, told 964media the blast occurred while a woman, her son, and a young man were foraging for edible wild plants in the mountainous area. All three were wounded.

Anwar Raber, spokesperson for the Erbil Mine Directorate, confirmed the explosion was caused by direct contact with an old artillery shell in the Dashti Herat area.

“A woman, a child, and a young man were injured after handling an artillery shell in the mountains of Dashti Herat, which exploded upon contact,” Raber said, identifying the victims as a 40-year-old woman, her 13-year-old son, and a 30-year-old man.

This marks the eighth explosion involving mines or unexploded ordnance this spring in areas under Soran’s administrative control, as locals continue to gather seasonal herbs and plants in dangerous terrain.