Landmine explosion in Al-Anbar: Woman killed, family injured by ISIS remnants

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, a woman was killed and three of her family members were injured when a landmine left by ISIS exploded in the Haditha district of western Al-Anbar province.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that the incident occurred in a remote area on the outskirts of the district, where the landmine detonated as the family passed through, instantly killing the woman and injuring her husband and two children.

Emergency and civil defense teams rushed to the scene, transporting the injured to Haditha General Hospital for treatment, while the woman's body was taken to the forensic medicine department.

An unnamed security source indicated that “the area where the explosion occurred had not been fully cleared of the war remnants left by ISIS during their control of parts of Al-Anbar. The local authorities are working in coordination with security forces to remove landmines and prevent further tragic incidents.”

On Saturday, an Iraqi security source reported that two children, aged eight and seven, were killed by a cluster bomb left behind by ISIS in Tikrit, Saladin Province. The children, who were shepherds, had their bodies returned to their families.

Iraq continues to grapple with the deadly legacy of landmines and remnants from past conflicts. Over 2,100 square kilometers of land remain contaminated with these hazardous devices, posing massive risks to civilians. Since 2003, demining teams have cleared 4,540 of the 6,600 square kilometers identified with landmine contamination.

Despite these efforts, landmine incidents have resulted in over 30,000 casualties since 2003. In a recent period from February 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, Iraq recorded 8,366 incidents involving the detonation of explosive devices, such as bombs, landmines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).