2,500 mines cleared from northern Iraq

ERBIL, Iraq, April 24 (UPI) -- The Mines Advisory Group operating in northern Iraq said it removed and destroyed nearly 2,500 hazardous items from the region.

MAG said in its latest publication highlighting developments in March that it cleared 2,486 unexploded land mines from projects in the northern provinces of Iraq.

It reported its work in the region creates a more secure environment that improves the lives of the Iraqi people by making the area safer to work toward general reconstruction.

Fifteen officers accompanied by support staff worked in the region using satellite technology to demarcate areas deemed safe for use as arable or commercial land.

The group said in its summary statement that in Sulaymaniyah province alone it removed 72 land mines from barely 10 percent of an acre of land, or an area roughly 83 feet by 83 feet.

MAG also destroyed 1,919 weapons in March. Its programs destroyed more than 1.5 million land mines in northern Iraq since its operations began in 1992.