Landmines still a threat in Iranian Kurdistan

ERBIL, Kurdistan (K24) – Landmines, in the past two years, have resulted in the death of 28 people and 208 injuries in Qasry Shireen town, Iranian Kurdistan.

Nia’matulla Nazparwarda, Deputy Mayor of Qasry Shireen, announced that, “In the middle of 2014 until now, 23 people have died in Qasry Shireen due to the mines planted in the area during the eight-year war between Iraq and Iran.”

According to the Iranian official, the majority of mine victims in Qasry Shireen are armed forces and shepherds.

Nazparwarda also said that the process of defusing mines from the Iran-Iraq war continued throughout this year where 9000 mines have been defused in Qasry Shireen.

According to statistics, 20 million mines have not been defused yet across various areas of Iran which is about 6000 hectares.

Landmines were largely used during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s where millions of landmines were placed on the borders of both countries.

The Iraqi and Kurdistan Region side of the border also face the threat of landmines. Recently, the General Directorate of Mine Affairs in Erbil announced that they defused 600 landmines and explosive mines in border areas of Choman district in the Kurdistan Region which had been placed by the former Iraqi regime.