Landmines Hinder Return of Displaced to Ramadi

The article continued, "Hundreds of IEDs planted throughout the streets and buildings of Ramadi, 100 kilometers [62 miles] west of Baghdad, have delayed the return of around half a million displaced residents.”

Thaer Kanani, the director of the Iraqi al-Khibra al-Fanniya company for clearing mines and unexploded ordnance, told Al-Monitor that his company “entered Ramadi March 1 and performed volunteer work there, managing to clear 5,000 explosive devices planted on the streets.

He said, "The return of the civilians at the moment is a big risk because the city has been cleared completely and the engineering teams are facing major challenges in dismantling and neutralizing the explosive devices. There is still a danger to everyone, especially civilians.”

On April 5, the US Embassy in Baghdad announced that $5 million in new US assistance will be allocated to help safely clear explosive hazards in Ramadi.

An embassy statement said, “ Under this new initiative, U.S. Embassy Baghdad and the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs have awarded a contract to Janus Global Operations, one of the world’s leading demining companies.”