Tehran, YJC. Official says that 16 to 20 million hectares of the country’s lands were mined by Iraq during the war.
Tasnim reports that the Director of the Demining Center of
Ilam province said in a meeting on preventing disabilities caused by landmine
explosions "In the 8 years of the imposed war, two thirds of Ilam was polluted with
different sources of mines and war ammunitions in the three counties of Ilam, Mehran,
and Dehloran with an area of 1,700 thousand hectares.”
Haji Darabi added "The general demining operations have been
done in the three counties of Ilam, Mehran, and Dehloran which were directly
involved in war. The mechanized demining is also underway.”
He maintained that the movements of the local nomads unaware
of mines and war ammunitions are the major factor causing disabilities and
deaths.
"Modern, attractive education increases people’s favor for
quality, effective learning. These kinds of education diminish the fatalities
and financial loss as people run into explosives.”
He added that due to domestic problems, Iraq does not
consider demining its border areas and as geographical phenomena carry mines
from the country into the Iranian territory, Iran faces much difficulty in
clearing its border areas.
Last year more than 35 thousand nomadic people of the area
were educated with mines and it is expected that the number will increase to 40
thousand for the current year.
A number of 810 deaths and 273 injuries were registered from
2005 to 2012 that were caused by mines in the province of Ilam.