Latest news with #IKMAA
Rudaw Net
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
KRG mine agency to sue individuals posting videos downplaying landmine dangers
Also in Kurdistan Nawroz University showcases scientific skills of students KDP, PUK reach deal on MyAccount Kakais celebrate 'Day of Giving' yoghurt festival Turkey drops leaflets calling for PKK fighters to surrender A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) mine action agency announced on Sunday that it will file lawsuits against individuals posting videos showing the tampering of mines and explosives. The agency stated that such content downplays the dangers of mines and has contributed to a rise in fatalities and injuries. 'In the videos, someone is shown tampering with mines using a knife, and another person is holding a mine and describing it,' Jabar Mustafa, head of the KRG's Directorate of Mine Action (IKMAA), told Rudaw. Mustafa emphasized that such actions are 'legally prohibited,' noting that the agency will issue warnings before proceeding with legal complaints. He also cautioned against efforts by volunteers to clear minefields, saying, 'They clear a few meters and then claim the entire area has been cleared.' 'No individual or organization is allowed to clear even a single meter without the approval of the relevant authorities,' he stressed. On Thursday, the IKMAA issued a public announcement directed at media outlets and social media platforms, stating: 'Trespassing into minefield boundaries and restricted explosive areas is being depicted in a way that minimizes the danger of mines to the public, resulting in severe accidents and casualties.' Iraq and the Kurdistan Region continue to struggle with the legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind by decades of conflict, including the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and the Islamic State's (ISIS) brutal control over large parts of the country between 2014 and 2017. More recent clashes - particularly between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) along the Kurdistan Region's borders - have also left behind explosive remnants, with some minefields located just a few hundred meters from residential areas. Approximately 40 percent of mine-contaminated areas in the Kurdistan Region—covering nearly 250 million square meters - remain uncleared. Of this, 47 percent lies within Erbil province. Since the beginning of 2025, at least four people have died and three others have been injured in mine explosions in the Kurdistan Region, according to data obtained by Rudaw.
Rudaw Net
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
40% landmine areas remain to be cleared in Kurdistan Region: Official
Also in Kurdistan KDP, PUK say meeting on forming KRG cabinet made 'positive' progress Anfal genocide survivors demand return of loved ones' remains Halabja provincial status hailed as a landmark step toward justice, development Kurdish youth must not forget Anfal: Swedish MP A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Roughly 40 percent of landmine-contaminated areas in the Kurdistan Region remain uncleared, a mine clearance official said on Monday, warning that vast stretches of the Region's land remain dangerous for civilians, particularly in Erbil province. Speaking to Rudaw's Hiwa Jamal, the director of the Kurdistan Region's Mine Actions Agency (IKMAA) in Erbil stated that 'around 40 percent of areas littered with mines in the Kurdistan Region are yet to be cleared.' Ali Abdulrahman added that the contaminated area spans nearly 250 million square meters, with 47 percent of it located in Erbil province. Since the beginning of 2025, several civilians have been killed or injured in landmine explosions in Erbil province. "Mines remain a significant threat to the citizens of Kurdistan. In previous years, approximately 14,000 people have died or been injured due to mines,' Abdulrahman said. The Kurdistan Region's rugged, mountainous terrain still harbors landmines dating back to the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq (1980-1988). More recent conflicts, specifically between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) along the Kurdistan Region's borders, have also left behind explosive remnants, with some minefields located just a few hundred meters from villages. In late March, the head of IKMAA's media department in Erbil, Rabar Anwar, cautioned people living near mountainous areas 'to stay away from dangerous areas riddled with mines.' He emphasized that landmines continue to hinder 'the advancement of the economic, agricultural, tourism, and village reconstruction sectors. Anwar added that the Kurdistan Region has 'many shortcomings in terms of human resources,' noting, 'We have nine manual demining teams in Erbil; we need more teams.' IKMAA's media representative further pointed out that the agency lacks adequate vehicles as most of its fleet is nearly 30 years old and no longer meet modern safety standards. Last year, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) rented 48 vehicles for IKMAA, 12 of which were allocated to its Erbil branch, Adularahman detailed. The Iraqi Directorate for Mine Action (DMA) and IKMAA have been cooperating under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024, outlining their mutual technical support until 2028. Iraq and the Kurdistan Region continue to grapple with the legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind by decades of conflict, including the Iran-Iraq War, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 US-led invasion, and the Islamic State's (ISIS) brutal reign over large parts of the country's north and west between 2014 and 2017.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Landmine blast kills tradesman in Soran
Also in Kurdistan Turkey-PKK clashes intensify in Duhok province More government support needed as Kurdistan autism cases increase: Association Kurdistan Region Presidency condemns attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok Nearly 200 thousand tourists visited Kurdistan during Eid A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A landmine blast on Monday killed a 35-year-old tradesman in the mountainous areas of the Soran independent administration, a local witness said. 'We were distant from where he was. When we heard the sound of the blast, we saw a lot of smoke rising. After nearly ten minutes, I reached where he was, but it was of no use. From his torso to his foot, none of it had remained,' Gailan Jamal, a local who saw the incident, told Rudaw. Nazim Salihi, the victim, was married and had two children. Poverty had forced him to turn to the Qalarash mountain to obtain spring herbs, according to Jamal. But thousands of landmines are located in the area. His family said that years ago, Salihi's father had also lost his life to a landmine blast. The Kurdistan Region is known for its tall mountains. However, landmines dating back to the Iran-Iraq War and the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) along the border have killed many. Some of the minefields are only a few hundred metres away from nearby villages. 'Despite many announcements to raise awareness through our teams… advising and instructing people, especially in this season, to stay away from dangerous areas riddles with mines … this is the second person in Soran independent administration this year to get killed in mine blasts,' said Rabar Anwar, head of media of the Kurdistan Region's Mine Action Agency (IKMAA). In August, Mustafa Hameed, head of media at the Iraqi Directorate for Mine Action (DMA), told Rudaw that mine removal teams in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have cleared 4,540 of the 6,600 square kilometers of areas with landmines since 2003 in joint efforts between Baghdad and Erbil. The Iraqi DMA and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) IKMAA have been working together since they signed a memorandum of understanding last year, outlining their cooperation and mutual technical support until 2028. Iraq and the Kurdistan Region suffer from the widespread presence of landmines, a legacy of the Iran-Iraq War, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 US-led invasion, and the Islamic State's (ISIS) brutal reign across the north and west from 2014 to 2017. Vast areas of the country still need to be cleared for the safety of its people. Andam Jabar contributed to this report.
