Demined land in Penjwen returned to owners, Mine Action Directorate reports

SULAYMANIYAH– Teams from the General Directorate of Mine Action in Sulaymaniyah have cleared two areas of land from mines, covering a total of 41,361 square meters, and have handed the land back to its rightful owners on Friday.

Director General Mohsin Karim told 964media that the areas, known as Kani Goja and Grdala, are located in the Germuk subdistrict in Penjwen district.

Karim explained that, “Work on the Kani Goja site began in 2016 but faced delays due to snow, rain, and lack of funding”, with demining operations concluding at the end of last year. He added that both areas were officially handed over to their owners.

In the demined fields, 53 Valmara mines, 231 VS-50 mines, and 39 other explosive devices were removed from Kani Goja, while Grdala yielded one anti-tank mine and seven additional explosive devices.

Penjwen, a border region heavily affected by the Iran-Iraq War, contains more than 58 million square meters of mined land. Each year, demining teams work to clear several fields, ensuring safer conditions for local residents.

Tragically, in April of this year, two young men were killed in an explosion caused by a Valmara mine in Penjwen.

Jabbar Mustafa, Director of the Mine Action Agency, previously told 964media that of the 776 square kilometers of mined land originally identified in the Kurdistan Region, 576 square kilometers have been cleared, leaving 200 square kilometers still contaminated. He noted that landmines have affected 13,580 individuals, with approximately 5,000 fatalities recorded.

In 2023 alone, the agency documented 23 landmine incidents, resulting in 10 deaths and 13 injuries. Since the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1991, a total of 13,500 people have been killed or injured by landmines in the region.