Dozens reported killed by al Qaeda land mines in Yemen
Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Land mine explosions have
killed at least 73 people in Yemen's Abyan province since al Qaeda
fighters were defeated two weeks ago, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said.
Among those killed were 23 soldiers.
The ministry said that
tens of thousands of land mines were planted before militants were
driven out of their key strongholds, as an ambush to retaliate for their
defeat.
A senior Defense Ministry
official told CNN that more than 200 experts are involved in the mine
removal operation, but he would not give a deadline for when the
province would be mine-free.
"Al Qaeda had more than a
year to plan and plant the land mines, so it will take time. We are
also in dire need of modern detecting devices," the official told CNN,
speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk
to media.
Residents in Abyan told CNN that the injury toll from mines is far greater than those killed.
They said that most mines
were planted near government institutions, military compounds,
checkpoints, and mountainous roads. "With every person killed, four or
five are injured. Hospitals in Abyan and neighboring Aden are full of
land mine victims," Ali Hadi, a resident of Zinjibar, told CNN.
"Zinjibar is still empty
though, al Qaeda is nowhere to be seen. People know their lives are
still at risk but this time from land mines," he added.
Col. Saeed Ali Mishal,
head of the engineering unit tasked with clearing the mines, said the
government managed to clear 3,119 land mines this week from the towns of
Zinjibar, Jaar, and Shuqra.
"Explosions linked to land mines are heard three to four times daily in Zinjibar," said Mishal.
He said that the mines are all locally made and those found have been destroyed.
The increasing death toll complicates government efforts to relocate locals displaced by the war.
UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, reported that 150,000 people fled Abyan and are stranded in low-capacity shelters.
The displaced currently occupy dozens of schools in Aden and Lahj provinces.
Mohammed al-Saadi,
Yemen's minister of international affairs, said one of the government's
main priorities is to rebuild Abyan, after the year-long war destroyed
thousands of homes.
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