Shafaq News- Duhok
Floods in Iraq moved mines from known fields into previously unaffected areas, increasing the risk to civilians, an Iraqi official told Shafaq News on Monday.
According to Reger Besfki, media officer at Duhok’s Directorate of Mine Affairs, rainfall has also exposed unexploded bombs and munitions on the surface, warning residents –especially those visiting natural areas and mountains for recreation or to collect spring herbs– against approaching such sites, particularly in areas that witnessed clashes between Turkish forces and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.
Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to pose a serious threat in Iraq, with the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq estimating more than 6,600 square kilometers of land contaminated since 2003 and over 30,000 people killed or injured nationwide. Decades of wars and the fight against ISIS have left explosive remnants that are often re-exposed by heavy rains, flooding, and soil erosion.