The General Directorate of Mine Affairs in Erbil confirmed today that a young man was killed and another injured following the explosion of a landmine in the Khalifan sub-district.

The victims, identified as Mohammed Hini and his brother Safwan Hini, are residents of the village of Bekhmai. According to the Foundation’s statement, the two brothers were gathering spring plants in the Bradost area along with friends when a landmine—left over from past conflicts—detonated unexpectedly.

Mohammed Hini, aged 28, died at the scene. His brother Safwan sustained injuries and was immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.

This incident brings the number of landmine-related casualties in the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of 2025 to four fatalities and five injuries, according to official statistics.

The General Directorate of Mine Affairs reported that 72% of the region’s land has been cleared of landmines and explosive remnants of war, with 28% still contaminated. The ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government has made mine clearance a priority through intensified efforts by the Foundation.

Established in 2007, the Mine Affairs Foundation was created to support the Kurdistan Regional Government in landmine removal, land rehabilitation, and public safety efforts.

Thousands of landmines were laid by the former Iraqi regime along the border areas during and after the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), as well as during its military campaigns against the Kurdish population. These remnants continue to pose serious risks to civilians, particularly farmers and rural residents.

Despite significant progress made by both local and international demining organizations since 1991, large stretches of land in the Kurdistan Region remain unsafe due to unexploded ordnance.

The legacy of war and the scorched-earth policies pursued by the former Ba’athist regime have left a devastating human and environmental impact, much of which still lingers across the region’s landscape.