SRI LANKA Army’s Humanitarian De-mining Field Engineer troops to-date since the year 2002 have cleared a total land extent of 450,402,744 sq m (450.41 sq km) of LTTE buried explosive devices, anti personnel and anti tank mines and un-exploded ordnance (UXOs) from northern and eastern districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaittivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.
In addition, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are separately engaged in de-mining work in the same districts. The extent of area de-mined by those NGO de-miners has not been included in the geographical extent figure as given above.
Army’s Humanitarian De-mining Field Engineer troops clearing 4,843,040 sq m area in the Jaffna district have unearthed 3,351 anti personnel mines, 128 UXOs and two anti tank mines since the beginning of the year 2002. In Mannar, those Engineers have to this date collected 9,099 anti personnel mines, 3,264 UXOs and 13 anti tank mines from an area of 69,596,113 sq m.
Meanwhile, Army’s Humanitarian De-mining Field Engineer troops in Mullaittivu clearing a 162,840 sq m area have so far collected 216 anti personnel mines and 51 UXOs during their de-mining work. Similarly, the Engineers conducting de-mining work in the Kilinochchi district have during the same period unearthed 17 anti personnel mines and 21 UXOs while clearing an area of 6,167,788 sq m. A total of 1,059 anti personnel mines and 5 UXOs were among the recoveries made in the Vavuniya district as of today (4th January). Engineer troops have covered 403,290 sq m area in extent during their work in Vavuniya.
In the eastern Batticaloa, Army’s Humanitarian De-mining Field Engineer troops covering an area of 269,160,424 sq m unearthed a record 13,352 UXOs during 2002-2009, the biggest quantity of LTTE UXOs so far recovered from one district by Army Engineers. Engineer troops were similarly able to collect 1,617 anti personnel mines and 173 UXOs from areas in the Trincomalee district during the seven-year period (2002-2009) under reference. The area thus de-mined in Trincomalee stands at 100,069,249 sq m.
At present, Army’s Humanitarian De-mining Field Engineer troops are busy continuing their de-mining work in Vedithalattivu (Mannar), Mankulam (Killinochchi) and Thunukkai-Amathipuram (Mullaittivu) areas. Initial surveys have confirmed that about 600 sq km area still remains to be cleared of mines and UXOs.
By 31st December 2009, an estimated total of 819 de-miners including medical assistants were currently working in those areas with the help of de-mining equipment and machinery. Seven trained mine-sniffing dogs have also been deployed in the same areas for de-mining work. The Army expects to increase the number of de-miners in the north at the earliest in order to accelerate the remaining de-mining work.
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