Al-Qaim has been fully cleared of landmines and explosives planted by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) before it was ousted from the town in 2017, mayor Ahmed al-Mahalawi said Tuesday (September 3rd).
The step will speed up the return of all displaced people to the Anbar border town, he said.
Security forces "have completed the removal of all unexploded ordnance in al-Qaim, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby traps planted by ISIS", he said.
"The operation also covered 52 villages and three sub-districts in al-Qaim, during which hundreds of houses were cleared ahead of bringing families back to their homes," he said.
Neutralising the danger of explosive remnants of war will also help with the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in al-Qaim, he added.
