Iraq News

Iraqi forces clear 19 Anbar villages of explosives

Nineteen villages in western Anbar province have been cleared of remnants of war, booby traps and landmines left behind by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), the Anbar police command said on Friday (July 26th).

Iraqi forces cleared villages in al-Qaim, al-Rutba and al-Baghdadi of explosives with the help of the international coalition which provided them with sensors and detectors in early July, Anbar police chief Maj. Gen. Hadi Kassar Erzaij said.

"More than two tonnes of explosives have been removed from 19 villages, and civilian teams were allowed in to carry out large-scale rehabilitation, cleaning and clearing operations before we can start bringing the residents back home," he told Diyaruna.

Security forces dismantled the landmines without blowing them up to avoid damages to residents’ homes and properties, he said.

"This was possible thanks to the modern equipment the international coalition supplied to the Iraqi side," he added.

Police, Civil Defence and the Iraqi Army's Engineering Unit have taken part in the effort, he said.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500