WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- U.S.-led efforts in Iraq have cleared more than 190 million square feet of land from unexploded ordnance, the U.S. State Department said.
The State Department said Iraq is near the top when it comes to nations plagued with land mines and unexploded ordnance. Most of those, the department said, are the consequence of more than 30 years of conflict and the 1980s war between Iran and Iraq.
In 2010, the U.S. government spent nearly $25 million to destroy conventional weapons scattered across the country.
The United Nations, however, estimates that there are 20 million land mines scattered across Iraq, with many of those contaminating agricultural land.
The State Department said it cleared more than 190 million square feet of land from land mines and unexploded ordnance, though parts of the country are still riddled with the weapons.
There are nearly a dozen national and international agencies, including the U.S. government, working to get rid of conventional munitions in Iraq.
"Despite progress, much work remains ahead," the State Department said.
