Landmine Clearance

During the first eight months of the current year (started March 20), 338 hectares in Western Azarbaijan Province were cleared of landmines while 1,300 hectares more still need to be cleared, said Rabi’ Mostafavi, deputy governor of the province. According to official figures, Iraq planted around 12-16 million landmines in over four million hectares in five provinces of West Azarbaijan, Kermanshah, Kurdestan, Ilam and Khuzestan during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). Khuzestan is reportedly the most mined area, IRNA reported. The Iranian Army estimates that 1.5 million hectares are still infested with Iraqi landmines which have severely restricted agricultural production in the five provinces along the Iraqi border.