Shafaq News/ The General Directorate of Mine Action in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, reported on Friday the discovery of more than 100 anti-personnel mines (APL), along with several pieces of unexploded ordnance, in the village of Bekhal, in the Rawanduz district of Erbil governorte, northern Iraq.

In a statement, the directorate explained that its demining teams, with support from the International Trust Fund (ITF) based in Slovenia, conducted clearance operations across areas contaminated by explosives.

“The teams successfully uncovered 101 anti-personnel mines of the Valmara-69 type, along with several other war remnants in the minefield,” according to the statement.

The minefield, known as Grokopia (گروکوپیا in Kurdish گروکوپیا,) spans an area of 55,821 square meters. After completing the clearance, the land was formally handed back to its owner during a ceremony held at the Rawanduz district office.

The Iraqi Kurdistan contains landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind by the former Iraqi government over the past four decades, as well as those placed by the Iranian Army during the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988.

Despite facing numerous challenges, the Region has successfully cleared a significant number of minefields, allowing the land to be returned to its rightful owners.