Two UN employees killed in landmine explosion in Iraq
People clear landmines in Basra, Iraq. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Two Iraqi members of a team working for the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) were killed and a third was injured on Monday in an incident at an explosive ordnance clearance site at Shatt Al-Arab near Basra in southern Iraq, according to a press statement issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
The incident occurred in the early morning at the site managed by Al Khebra Al Fania (AKAF), which is one of UNMAS Iraq’s implementing partners. The injured person was reported to be in stable condition in hospital, the statement elaborated.
UNMAS Iraq and the entire UN family in Iraq convey their deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured person a speedy recovery, the statement mentioned.
UNMAS is working closely with the Iraqi Directorate for Mine Action to investigate and review the incident to understand if any conditions can be addressed and precautions implemented to reduce the risk of such incidents in the future, the statement explained.
AKAF has been a partner of UNMAS for the last two years and cleared hundreds of items of explosive ordnance in the Shatt Al-Arab area, according to the statement.
The clearance operations are essential for the safety of impacted communities and safe access to land for agricultural activities and development, the statement added.