Wild boars tread on IS landmines, spare Diyala farmers the risk

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) Farmers in a region at Iraq’s province of Diyala are relying on wild boars to sniff around for explosive traps planted by Islamic State militants, a local official said Tuesday.

Awwad al-Rubayi, head of the security committee of Abi Saida municipal council, told Alghad Press that people at Abu Karma village have used to watch wild boards that swarmed their abandoned farmlands to get rid of unexploded landmines previously planted by Islamic State terrorists.

“Explosives have particularly been concentrated at the farmlands between Abu Karma and Mekheisa because they are so thick that no force had been able to clear them (from IEDs) thoroughly for years”, said Rubayi.

“There are IEDs that are placed on the entrance of farmlands to target the farmers once entering, which obliged some farmers to wait for boards to tread on them, get them detonated and secure a pathway,” according to Rubayi.As :

The official said the technique has, indeed, helped clear tens of landmines and save more deaths among the citizens.

Landmines and explosives left over by Islamic State militants at areas recaptured by Iraqi forces have killed several civilians over the past months that followed the launch of military campaigns against the militants last year.