Mines buried during the 8 year war between Iran and Iraq, killed several people every day in the border areas of Kurdistan. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has done nothing, despite statements promising mine clearance (demining) in Rojhelat (Eastern Kurdistan).
A 10 year old Kurdish child was injured in a mine explosion in Salas Bawecani (Kirmashan functions). Recently, Firat News Agency also reported that a 35-old- man lost his leg in a mine explosion in Piranshar (another mined area in Rojhelat).
An elementary school student named Emin Yusefi, resident in Sheix Sile village of Salas Bawecani from the Kirmashani functions, was wounded in a mine explosion while he was playing with his friends.
Furthermore, few days ago a Piranshari Kurdish citizen named Eli Enbari who had gone to the Kurdish mountains to collect edible spring plants with his family, had to amputate his leg due to a collision with a mine planted near the Haci Omran border.
Earlier on 21 Jan, two Kolbers were injured by mine explosions in the border regions of Rojhelat between Bane and Pencuwen (Penjwen of Southern Kurdistan).
In an article from November 2012, a Fars News report on the slow process of mine clearance in Kurdistan, called the complete clearance of mines in the region a “dream.”
There are many reasons why Iran has been unable to remove its land mines. In addition to sanctions and Iran’s domestic issues with NGOs, there appears to be, 23 years after the Iran-Iraq war, self-defense reasons why Iran has been slow to remove land mines from its borders, Monitors website reported.
Dozens of civilians lose their lives or suffer injuries from landmines across the Iran-Kurdistan Region borders every year. The mines date back to the days of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
Rojhelat.info