Afghan Interior Ministry condemns killing of deminers
| Publisher | IRIN |
| Publication Date | 13 July 2011 |
| Cite as | IRIN, Afghan Interior Ministry condemns killing of deminers, 13 July 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4caae42.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The brutal killing of four deminers in Afghanistan's western province of Farah should not deter Afghans from supporting efforts to rid the country of landmines and other explosive remnants of war, Sediq Sediqi, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, told IRIN.
Thirty-one people, among them 20 deminers, were abducted "by the Taliban or other militants", according to the Sediqi, while working in Shamalga village, Balabuluk District, on 6 July 2011. Four deminers were later killed, and 27 people released after negotiations between tribal elders and the militants, local government officials said.
In April five deminers from the same organization (Demining Agency For Afghanistan - DAFA) were killed when their bus hit a roadside bomb in the southern province of Kandahar.
DAFA head Abdul Satar told IRIN the agency's operations had been suspended in Farah and that he was uncertain if the deminers, who are paid US$200 a month, would be willing to return to work.
According to the Mine Action Coordination Center of Afghanistan (MACCA), 40 deminers have lost their lives in various incidents since April 2010.
