Teen killed by land mine on family outing in Dhi Qar desert

DHI QAR– A 13-year-old boy died Wednesday after stepping on a land mine during a family outing in the Abu Ghar desert area of southern Dhi Qar, a security source told 964media.

The mine, identified as unexploded ordnance from previous conflicts, detonated while the child was playing, according to the source.

He was transported to a hospital but died on the way.

Iraq remains heavily contaminated with explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices after decades of conflict, including the Iran-Iraq War and the fight against ISIS, and the threat continues to affect residents in remote and rural areas.

The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that explosive remnants contaminate about 2,100 square kilometers of land across Iraq, an area roughly equal to 300,000 football fields, posing serious risks to civilians returning to their homes and farmland.