Iraq faces ghosts of Daesh; UN says 70% of mines under rubble
Iraq continues to reap the negative consequences of the spread of the Daesh terrorist organization for a long period of time within its territory, both through the trial of terrorists who fought in the ranks of the extremist organization inside Baghdad or in their home countries or through the mines planted by the organization during its escape from there.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) announced in an official statement on Sunday, June 9, 2019, that 70 percent of mines, remnants of war and improvised explosive devices remain under rubble; making it difficult for citizens to return to their homes in the liberated territory.
The estimated number of displaced Iraqis from the territories occupied by the terrorist organization - according to statistics of the Iraqi Ministry of Immigration - stands about 5.5 million Iraqis, of whom about 3.1 million citizens returned to their homes, while the rest remained in different areas within Iraq, according to the site of Russia Today.
Explosive ordnance, especially mine, is one of the main obstacles facing the Iraqi authorities to return citizens to their areas. The government has not completed the detection and control of all mines.
It is noteworthy that the organization urged the planting of mines near the doors of houses in Mosul, in May 2017, in order to prevent the escape of civilians from the city at the time, in addition to preventing the progress of Iraqi forces during the military confrontations between the parties, according to Reuters.
The terrorist organization also planted mines on the roads of the displaced Iraqis during their exit from the province of Salah al-Din, in September 2016, killing and wounding dozens of them during the bombings, in addition to the cultivation in all areas under its control during its escape from them.
Iraq needs a long period of time, as well as technical and international assistance to detect and control these mines, to prevent a large number of civilian casualties and deaths, which the Iraqi government has not yet received, and disrupts the process of combing those areas
