"I’m very happy that MAG responded to our request and successfully removed these dangerous items. I hope that MAG continues its amazing work in Iraq saving lives"
- Brigadier of the Iraqi border guards
Khanaqen district, located northeast of Baghdad in central Iraq’s Diyala governorate, is of strategic importance and has therefore seen a lot of fighting in the past. As a result the area is heavily contaminated with unguarded small arms and light weapons (SALW) items from past conflicts which are being routinely harvested for explosives to be used in the conflict.
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The SALW and mines found in Khanaqen. |
To combat these activities, local authorities have been closely monitoring all checkpoints and seizing explosives. The Iraqi border police have collected hundreds of items, but lack the technical capacity and expertise to safely remove and destroy the explosive items.
The Brigadier General of the Iraqi border police contacted MAG Community Liaison Manager based in Sulaymaniah for assistance in destroying the hazardous items. MAG immediately dispatched a SALW Community Liaison team along with a SALW supervisor to assess the needs of the emergency task.
The MAG SALW team safely destroyed 465 items, with the Brigadier of the Iraqi border guards, MAG Technical Field Manager and Field Operations Manager in attendance.
"I’m very happy that MAG responded to our request and successfully removed these dangerous items. I hope that MAG continues its amazing work in Iraq saving lives," said the brigadier in an interview with Kurd Sat, a Kurdish satellite television channel.
According to MAG Community Liaison teams there are more dangerous areas in Diyala that are presenting a direct threat to the local communities and security in the area. MAG will continue to support the border guards and the local communities through the removal of dangerous items from the area.
Links:
» More on MAG's work in Iraq
» Why does MAG work in Iraq?
» IRAQ: Ridding the community of SALW, a cruel enemy
18 June 08
MAG's work in Iraq is currently funded by: Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Irish Aid; Royal Netherlands Government; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency).
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